The Kiss of Enemies
by rain of silver stars
Summary: Darien and Serena have found a strange point of agreement. They both hate kissing. Unfortunately this sentiment does not hold up after an unexpected moment at Andrew's party...
1. Prologue

The Kiss of Enemies  
  
Prologue: Who did kissing what in the where now?  
  
Rated: R (for later chapters, be patient loyal smut-ites)  
  
Disclaimer: standard  
  
Author: rain of silver stars  
  
e-mail: moonsilverstaryahoo.com  
  
It was Serena's fault. If you asked Darien about it, that is  
  
what he would say. It all started with her, he claimed, that  
  
day in the arcade.   
  
In retrospect he is not far wrong, however, the rest of us  
  
know it started sometime before that. Probably the moment  
  
those two met. But I digress. How they met could fill another  
  
book frankly.  
  
That day in the arcade Serena came in in a mood. To be fair  
  
she could be a rather moody girl--but usually her moods swayed  
  
between hyper-happy, test score-miserable and 'it's-raining-  
  
I-want-a-sundae-mid-cheerful. But today, this mood was brand  
  
new. This one Andrew had never seen before.   
  
Darien was already at the counter drinking his coffee when  
  
she walked in. She didn't bounce or storm or anything. This  
  
was a quiet anger. The girls weren't far behind her and   
  
Andrew figured they had said something to upset her.  
  
They all piled up to the counter around Darien as though he  
  
wasn't there. Conversely, he didn't seem to notice  
  
they were there either. He was just kind of...absorbed into  
  
their midst.  
  
"Chocolate milkshake Andrew!" Serena commanded as though  
  
it were a matter of life or death. (an: ofcourse chocolate  
  
is a matter of life and death!)  
  
"Coming right up!" Andrew smiled and slid it down the counter  
  
to her outstretched hand. That was the cool thing about Serena.  
  
He could slide her shakes down the counter to her like a classy  
  
bartender. No one else would ever play along with that. Bums.  
  
Serena caught it and began drinking in what can only be described  
  
as an angry fashion. Rei rolled her eyes and Mina sighed.  
  
"What's up?" Andrew asked and though Serena tried to shoot ALL the  
  
girls a warning look at the same time, she failed.  
  
"Oh, Serena's in a bad mood." Mina said, "We went to a party last  
  
night, with TONS of cute boys--" (Andrew could not help but realize he  
  
had not been invited and feel a little overlooked--wasn't he cute  
  
enough?)--and Serena finally got to kiss this guy she's had a major  
  
crush on from school and she hated it."  
  
Serena had realized halfway through Mina's speech that there was no  
  
stopping her and resigned herself to her fate. She simply kept drinking  
  
with added vehnom.   
  
"You hate kissing?" Andrew asked blankly.  
  
"Yes!" Serena yelled, "It was gross and it totally sucked!"  
  
Just using the word 'sucked' brought back unpleasant memories.  
  
"Serena, it was probably just him. Maybe he was a lousy kisser!" Rei  
  
said with obvious irritation. Although, Andrew reflected, she pretty  
  
much always spoke with obvious irritation...  
  
Serena looked ready to respond to this but was cut off by a gleeful  
  
Lita, enjoying the gossip a little too much, "Oh, didn't you guys  
  
see? She was so mad about the bad kiss she grabbed some random  
  
guy in the next room and tried him!"  
  
All eyes widened and turned on Serena, now sucking back the milkshake  
  
like air. All save for Darien who was frighteningly absorbed in his  
  
book.  
  
"You kissed some guy you didn't even know?" Mina gasped. This was  
  
gossip enough for MONTHS!  
  
"Wait a minute," Rei cut in, "Are you saying he sucked too?"  
  
"No," Serena clarified, "I am saying KISSING SUCKS!"  
  
Rei tried to reason with her, "Still, that could be two  
  
bad kissers Serena. I wouldn't worry too much about it."  
  
It was a kind reassurance from Rei and meant well, but Serena  
  
did not notice it in her rage.   
  
"I kissed two other guys after that." She said quietly and Rei  
  
leaned in in shock.  
  
"Come again?" She asked, disbelieving she had heard what she  
  
just heard--she couldn't have heard...had she?  
  
Serena abandoned the drained milkshake and Andrew refilled it  
  
without ever taking his eyes from her.  
  
"I said," Serena bit out, "That I kissed two other guys after  
  
that too. I thought the same thing as you Rei...but now I know  
  
for sure: kissingjustplainsucks!"  
  
They all just stared at her.  
  
"I can't believe you kissed FOUR guys at ONE party!" said Mina,  
  
"I only kissed THREE!"  
  
"You kissed THREE guys Mina?" Lita sidetracked in disapproval.  
  
Mina gave a sheepish smile, "There were so many cute guys,  
  
how's a girl supposed to choose?"  
  
Andrew was starting to seriously regret not getting in on this party.  
  
He looked over to Darien and noticed he had not once looked up from  
  
his book. Had he missed the entire conversation?  
  
Now, it cannot be said that Andrew is a mean person. He would gladly  
  
give anything to his friends. And if someone had tried to embarass  
  
Darien he would have stepped into defend him. But this rule did  
  
not apply to himself and therefore, he let the wicked little thought  
  
turn into an absolute plan of action and said casually, "You know Serena,  
  
you're not the only one who hates kissing. Darien hates kissing too!"  
  
Darien looked up sharply at his name to hear all the girls speak at once,  
  
"Darien, you hate kissing too?"  
  
A look came over Darien's face at that moment--one reserved especially for  
  
Andrew--the latter of whom winked at him in a way that revealed he was getting  
  
a very enjoyable internal laugh at his expense.  
  
Darien took a deep breath, "No, I do not like kissing. Frankly it's kinda  
  
gross--hey, what do you mean 'too'?"  
  
"Serena hates kissing too!" Ami chimed then turned very red for being the only  
  
person to say it.  
  
Darien turned to find Serena, straw in mouth, staring at him in disbelief.  
  
The two enemies regarded one another blankly on this strange point of  
  
agreement.  
  
"You hate kissing?" Darien asked.  
  
"It's gross." Serena answered, "And lame."  
  
Darien seemed to consider this, "I agree."  
  
Mina looked outraged, "You can't tell me you hate everything about girls Darien  
  
Shields! Girls are NOT gross and lame!"  
  
A very wicked smile graced Darien's face at that moment, one only  
  
Andrew had ever seen, "I didn't say EVERYTHING about girls was gross and  
  
lame. There are lots of OTHER things about girls that are...great."  
  
Mina's mouth simply hung open and Serena quickly looked back to her milkshake.  
  
Lita was looking at him as though she were screaming "Hentai!" though she never  
  
did manage to utter it.   
  
Andrew rolled his eyes.  
  
Darien was back to himself, "Now Meatballhead, are you speaking from  
  
accumulated data or one bad experience? I can say with confidence that  
  
kissing is gross. How many people have you kissed?"  
  
Serena took the moment to be shocked at how absorbed Darien could get  
  
in a book--what book WAS that anyway? then replied, "Four."  
  
Darien looked taken aback at this and raised his eyebrows.  
  
Rei threw her hands in the air, "This is the stupidest conversation EVER.  
  
You two just haven't kissed the right people yet!"  
  
Darien and Serena turned simultaneously to glare at her and it was  
  
then Rei noticed an eerie similarity in personality between them that  
  
had never presented itself before.  
  
Andrew meanstwhile had moved on from kissing to what he considered  
  
the greater issue at hand, "Why didn't I hear about this party?"  
  
The girls just looked at him blankly.  
  
"What, am I not CUTE enough?"  
  
The girls giggled, "It was a school crowd party Andrew, everyone  
  
was younger than you!"  
  
"Hmph." Andrew replied, still put-out.  
  
After the girls had left he sat across from Darien, "We should  
  
have a party, at my place!"  
  
Darien was eyeing his book with longing but Andrew slid it away from him,  
  
"We haven't had one for a while. I'll set up the spare room for you so  
  
you can crash there."  
  
Darien looked a little reluctant but finally conceded, "Alright, why  
  
not?"  
  
"I think we should invite the girls!" Andrew enthused, thinking of  
  
pretty Mina and her enjoyment of kissing at parties...  
  
Darien's eyes widened, "Andrew! You can't be serious! Those guys are  
  
WAY too young for your crowd! And I know you're planning to have  
  
booze--what if they get drunk?"  
  
Andrew rolled his eyes, "Get a life. They're not kids. They can take  
  
care of themselves."  
  
Darien reached for his book, "Alright, whatever."  
  
Andrew watched him try to find his place again, "Pretty funny  
  
that you and Serena agree on kissing. You don't usually agree  
  
on anything."  
  
Darien scoffed, "Serena's one of those girls who'll kiss  
  
someone she thinks she's in love with and THEN she'll like  
  
it."  
  
"The same could be said for you."  
  
But Darien looked at him honestly, "No. I actually have kissed  
  
someone I thought I was in love with--and it still sucked."  
  
Andrew rolled his eyes, "You're hopeless man. Absolutely hopeless."  
  
Darien regarded him wryly, "Hey, here's an idea. This time, maybe you  
  
could NOT broadcast that bit of information to a group of teenage girls!"  
  
Andrew merely laughed. And Darien read his book thinking Someday...someday  
  
you'll get yours....  
  



	2. Chapter 1

The Kiss of Enemies  
  
Chapter 1: Drunken Checkers  
  
Rated: R   
  
Disclaimer: standard  
  
Author: rain of silver stars  
  
e-mail: moonsilverstaryahoo.com  
  
appropriate music to listen to while reading this   
  
"Not in Love" Enrique Iglesius feat Kelis  
  
I shamefully admit to listening also to  
  
"Milkshake" by Kelis and "Naughty Girl" by Beyonce  
  
Whatever your party-girl-power music is, flip it  
  
on!   
  
Andrew's apartment had been thoroughly party-proofed  
  
by the time people started arriving and Darien soon  
  
found himself in the midst of loud music, drunken  
  
laughter and general idiocy. He was not enjoying  
  
himself. He hadn't enjoyed the last party either he  
  
was now remembering. Hadn't that been the one with  
  
the redhead. He shuddered. She had enjoyed the  
  
drunken make-out session a little TOO much and persisted  
  
in entirely sober flirtations with him on campus. Yuck.  
  
He wandred around in total boredum until the girls arrived.  
  
He watched Andrew--already a little tipsy--make his way over  
  
to Mina with a very broad grin. Ah, Darien realized, Andrew's  
  
entire motivation for HAVING this party.  
  
That left Rei, Lita, Serena and a terrified looking Ami to  
  
scatter in the midst. Rei and Lita headed to the "punch" table  
  
where Rei spotted none other than..."Chad?!?!"  
  
Indeed Chad was hanging out with his old band and looked equally  
  
surprised to see her.  
  
Lita, a tall girl with a short skirt, soon found herself in the  
  
attentions of four or five drunken guys--much to her delight.  
  
That left Serena and Ami--who clung to Serena like...he couldn't  
  
even think of an accurate metaphor--perhaps he'd had too much to  
  
drink.  
  
He lost them for an hour or so after that before Serena suddenly  
  
bumped into him by the stairs.  
  
"Meatballhead." He smiled, a little disturbed by how glad he  
  
was to see her--it was only because the party was SO boring  
  
and she was SO amusing--he told himself, "Where's Ami?"  
  
Serena rolled her eyes, "She RAN home about a half hour ago,  
  
probably to study."  
  
Darien nodded. Serena was holding a half-finished drink and  
  
looking about with a sarcasm he had never seen in her before,  
  
"This party sucks almost as much as kissing." She said dryly.  
  
He chuckled, "Agreed--oh GOD!" He finished as he spotted none  
  
other than the redhead! He had mere seconds before she spotted  
  
him.  
  
"Serena," He whispered, shocking her with the use of her ACTUAL  
  
name, "I need to ask you a strange favour."  
  
"Shoot." She said, following his rather terrified gaze to  
  
an aggressive looking redhead. She chuckled, "One of your  
  
past conquests back to haunt you?"  
  
She did not see him stiffen at her accurate barb. Had he  
  
been reduced to this? Begging his worst enemy to save him  
  
from his own mess? Perhaps the 'other stuff' wasn't really worth  
  
it....no...it was worth it.  
  
"Will you just walk upstairs with me? If I can make it look like  
  
I'm with someone else...maybe she'll go away."  
  
Serena shot him a wry glance and looked about to say something when  
  
he put on his best begging face, his eyes desperate, "Please? She's  
  
already stalking me across campus!"  
  
"Alright, alright. Not like I have anything BETTER to do!"  
  
He looked so grateful she actually felt rather pleased with  
  
herself. Hey, maybe this favour could give her leverage in  
  
their next fight!  
  
He put an arm around her and led her upstairs and she dutifully  
  
giggled and swayed all the way. A glance back from the top  
  
revealed the redhead watching them so Darien kept going into his  
  
spareroom and shut the door.  
  
Darien leaned against it warily, "We'll have to stay up here for  
  
a bit, if you don't mind."  
  
Serena bounced on the bed as she sat on it, "No problem, can't be  
  
worse than trying to 'mingle' downstairs!"  
  
He nodded, "Agreed."  
  
"You're not enjoying the party either?" She asked with surprise, then  
  
laughed, "Or is it just the redhead that's spoiled it for you?"  
  
He conceded to a defeated smile, "No, although she makes it particularly  
  
bad, it wasn't that great to start with."  
  
"And now what irony," She teased, "Instead of being in your room with  
  
some hot chick you're stuck with your worst enemy!" Then she seemed  
  
to realize what she had said and shut her mouth abruptly looking very  
  
embarassed.  
  
He laughed though, which surprised her to no end. Darien laughed?  
  
"You're a lot more amusing and besides, now we can BOTH avoid  
  
kissing!" (It might be observed at this point Darien was feeling  
  
a little free with words himself thanks to a hearty helping of punch)  
  
He smiled and sat in the chair by the window, turning it to face her,  
  
"Speaking of which, have you had any unpleasant encounters tonight?"  
  
Serena rolled her eyes, "No. I didn't even bother. I give up."  
  
"After only four tries?" He teased.  
  
"And how many times have YOU tried?" She countered and his blush  
  
left her feeling very depressed at her prospects.  
  
She put her head in her hands, "Great. It's hopeless."  
  
"That's not true." He soothed, feeling a little guilty at  
  
depressing her, "You'll fall in love with someone and then  
  
kissing will be great because you care about them."  
  
She met his eyes, "Have you never kissed anyone you loved   
  
before then?"  
  
He looked startled and she could tell he hadn't expected her to  
  
ask that question. At length he answered, "Once, I thought I  
  
was..."  
  
"But?" Serena added.  
  
He looked away and she saw a flash of hurt touch his features  
  
and felt an answering feeling so great she was a little overwhelmed.  
  
"But, it still sucked and I caught her with another guy."  
  
Serena winced, "That's awful." She waited until he looked up  
  
before saying, "You didn't deserve that."  
  
He smiled wryly, "You can say that with confidence to your enemy?"  
  
"Hey, I don't wish bad stuff on you!"  
  
He merely smiled a disbelieving smile at her. She sighed, "Fine,   
  
sometimes I do, but not like that. I wish stuff like..." She smiled  
  
wickedly, "A truck full of rotton tomatoes to burst open as you cross  
  
behind it."  
  
She seemed very pleased with this insult.  
  
"Good one." He mocked, giving her a thumbs up.  
  
"Augh!" She raged and threw herself back on the bed, "I can't  
  
win with you!"  
  
The music downstairs grew louder and they both turned to look at the  
  
door.  
  
"Do you think she's gone?" Serena asked.  
  
Darien bit his lip and shrugged. It was a terribly adorable gesture  
  
and Serena shook herself free at the thought, looking at her drink  
  
in sudden horror. If she was starting to think DARIEN was adorable  
  
she really needed to lay off this stuff.  
  
They cracked the door open and each peered an eye out--in time to see  
  
the redhead at the top of the stairs! They shut it quickly and Serena  
  
couldn't help but laugh.  
  
Darien threw himself onto the bed backwards with a groan, "This is going  
  
to take a while..."  
  
Serena looked dubiously around the room, "Eck, there's nothing to do  
  
up here!" She looked through the bedside drawers, then under the bed. Darien  
  
watched her dubiously. Finally she started rummaging through the closet.  
  
She dragged the chair over and climbed up.  
  
"Success!" She finally called out, "There's a bunch of boardgames up here  
  
AND a deck of cards!"  
  
He shook his head. That was the lamest thing ever--and yet, he didn't really  
  
mind the idea of playing a boardgame. He feigned disinterest though,  
  
"I need more punch to enjoy this..."  
  
Serena's face lit up as she spotted the phone, "Done!" She cheered, picking  
  
it up and dialing Lita's cellphone.  
  
"Lita, could you bring two cups of punch upstairs? Yeah, Darien and I are  
  
hiding out from a scary redhead that's after him!"  
  
Darien winced. Obviously he wasn't meant to have a quote unquote "private  
  
life".   
  
Serena hung up and moments later Lita stuffed the drinks through a crack  
  
in the door, "Quick, quick, she's at the foot of the stairs but I think  
  
she's coming back up--she keeps prowling them!"  
  
Serena giggled, "Thanks Lita!"  
  
They set about playing cards then, and after another cup of punch,  
  
crazy eights suddenly became really really entertaining--until Serena  
  
won for the fifth time.   
  
Darien crossed his arms, "This just isn't fun anymore."  
  
Serena stuck out her tongue at him but went to the closet and  
  
dragged out a couple of games.   
  
"Ok then. What'll it be: monopoly, clue, guess who or checkers?"  
  
"Didn't I see Trivial Pursuit in there?"  
  
"No." She lied. Fortunately he was drunk enough to believe her.  
  
Darien peered out the door and quickly shut it again, "Let's play  
  
them all!"   
  
Serena laughed and set up monopoly. Unfortunately, Darien won  
  
in what seriously seemed like minutes. She was sure the bank was  
  
going to run out of money--because he had it ALL.  
  
"This sucks!" She mock-raged.  
  
Darien crossed his arms--this time in satisfaction.   
  
Clue seemed to be the middle ground since they both won  
  
twice. 'Guess Who' failed because they kept flipping each  
  
other's people down and finding it hilariously funny.  
  
Finally, all that was left was checkers. The redhead was   
  
still patrolling and Lita had brought them up WAY too much  
  
punch on her second trip.   
  
Suddenly checkers was hilariously funny. Darien didn't  
  
think there was a better boardgame--how had he ever  
  
gotten away from playing it? He triumphed over every  
  
checker he took. He watched the focused look Serena was  
  
giving each move. She was cute, and really fun. Who knew  
  
they could get along--at least when they were drunk. Finally   
  
they were triple crowned and down to a piece each.  
  
"Stalemate." He observed, unable to dispel the huge grin  
  
that had been appearing over and over for the last few hours.  
  
"Oh no! Not after all this! No WAY buddy!" Serena fumed.  
  
She kept moving her piece, chasing his all over the board.  
  
"You can't win....Meatballhead." He leaned over to whisper  
  
the last word at her in mockery.   
  
"Oh yeah?" She challenged and leaned over and hopping  
  
her piece across the board to annihilate him. Darien was  
  
pretty sure that move was against the rules.  
  
"So THERE!" She triumphed looking up and finding that she  
  
had climbed so far over the board that she was face to  
  
face with him. Darien looked down at her in surprise. She  
  
was practically nose to nose with him. It should have been  
  
funny but somehow, the moment changed. They felt it at the  
  
same time: a kiss about to happen.   
  
Darien couldn't understand it. They both hated kissing.  
  
Only when he was really drunk did the urge to 'try again'  
  
overcome him. He was really drunk now, but Serena wasn't  
  
some random hot girl--she was his enemy! The girl he  
  
teased! The girl who spent her time divided between hyper  
  
and wailing. Why did he suddenly want to kiss her? And he  
  
knew by her face she wanted to kiss him too. What was going  
  
on?  
  
She watched him hesitate and instinctively wet her lips.  
  
It was a nervous gesture and nothing more--but it was enough  
  
for Darien. He stopped worrying and reasoning and thought  
  
only that he wanted to kiss her, she was right there, and  
  
he was going to.  
  
He leaned down, took the front of her shirt, drew her  
  
up and pressed his mouth to hers. The sensation that   
  
followed was so unexpected that he started in surprise.  
  
He felt her gently catch his top lip between her own  
  
and a jolt of pleasure ran through him--through them both.  
  
They pulled back a few inches and stared at one another  
  
in surprise.  
  
"That was good." She breathed.  
  
"It was..." He acknowledged, his voice breathy.  
  
"You're out of breath." She noticed with no  
  
little delight and a funny smile turned up  
  
her mouth.   
  
He smiled in return and slid his arms under her shoulders,  
  
pulling her across the forgotten checkerboard and  
  
into his arms to kiss her again. Serena was left  
  
to scramble into the embrace and get her arms around  
  
him without looking.   
  
This felt better than good. She couldn't get enough  
  
of the sensation. Who knew DARIEN would be a great kisser?  
  
But he hated kissing too. That meant SHE was the great  
  
kisser...or did it? This thought was followed by "Who cares?"  
  
and a renewed energy in kissing him.  
  
It was amazing. She rememebered how wet and awkward the  
  
other kisses had been. This was...different. Her entire  
  
body lit up with feeling. Everything turned pleasurable.  
  
He kept taking her bottom lip between his own and turning  
  
to take her from first one angle then the other. Their  
  
faces kept brushing gently. It was all so...nice. She  
  
let her fingers slip up his neck and into his hair and   
  
watched his face tense with enjoyment. She couldn't decide  
  
which was better, feeling good or making him feel good.  
  
He suddenly tipped her back and deepened the kiss, his hand  
  
cupping her face and his tongue slipping into her mouth  
  
and she decided feeling good was the best. She murmured  
  
mindlessly and cupped his own face to return the gesture.  
  
She didn't think she had ever felt this good--ever. She was  
  
nearly giddy with pleasure and clung to him, pressing against  
  
him as tightly as she could. She was pretty much in his lap  
  
but as she pressed up hard against him he made his own  
  
indecipherable noise and turned them, laying her down and  
  
pressing himself against her.  
  
Now this, Serena thought, feels even better. His hands   
  
wandered over her body and she dimly realized they were  
  
wandering where they really shouldn't. But it felt so   
  
good to be touched, as though kissing changed all the   
  
sensations she would normally feel to something else   
  
entirely. What was this heavy, hot, restless feeling  
  
taking over her? She didn't recognize it until he tore  
  
his mouth away and kissed her throat, running his mouth  
  
along her neck to the hollow behind her ear. His hands  
  
found the edge of her shirt and slipped up underneath  
  
to gently cup her breasts. He fiddled with her bra until  
  
it came undone and he could touch beneath it. And the  
  
wave of pleasure that followed his touch made her realize,  
  
this was desire. She felt desire. She was turned on.  
  
Darien was kissing her, touching her and she desired him.  
  
That thought needed later examination, she decided. Meanwhile,  
  
she really needed to get her hands under his shirt too.  
  
She found the bottom of his shirt and ran her hands up  
  
under to stroke his back. She ran her fingers around front  
  
and he lifted his arms to let her take the shirt off   
  
completely--which she hadn't expected. She pulled it off  
  
with wide eyes before his eyes met hers looking glazed  
  
and unfocused. He was lost in the moment and she found  
  
that highly flattering.  
  
He leaned down to kiss her and pulled her shirt up, struggling  
  
to get her to lift her arms so he could get it off. She met  
  
his eyes a little uncertainly but let him. She felt so good,  
  
what else was there to do? And as he untangled her arms  
  
from her bra she had no time to feel embarassed--he pulled her  
  
into his arms and against him and the feeling of it--his bare  
  
chest against hers--wiped all doubts from her mind. They  
  
kept kissing and stroking the other's skin and the urgency of  
  
it built to a fever pitch. He layed her down and pressed  
  
his weight into her and she felt a blissful pleasure. He ran  
  
his hands into her hair as he pressed harder and she suddenly  
  
pulled away saying "Ouch!"  
  
He assumed he was pulling her hair and muttered, "Sorry--can  
  
I take these out then?" Before pulling out the pins in one   
  
of her buns.  
  
"No, I'm lying on a checker." She giggled but he already  
  
had one bun undone.  
  
"Can I undo them anyway?" He asked sheepishly and she smiled.  
  
He pulled her up and she yanked off the checker--a little   
  
surprised to find it wedged into her skin from the pressure.  
  
He got the second bun out and let her hair fall down her back.  
  
A funny look came over his face as he ran his fingers through  
  
it, "You look really pretty..." He said and because he said it  
  
so quickly, without thinking, a little drunkenly, she knew he  
  
really meant it and cherished the words.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her and they lost themselves all over  
  
again. She instinctively wrapped herself around him, legs about  
  
his hips, hands in his hair and he made a very appreciative sound.  
  
His lips ran down her neck again and found one of her breasts. She  
  
arched instinctively. It was so...erotic.   
  
Darien could barely keep his thoughts together. He didn't think   
  
he'd ever felt so turned on in his life. Who knew it would be   
  
Serena's kiss; Her small,sweet, lush body that would do this to   
  
him? He couldn't believe it. He couldn't let himself really   
  
think he was doing what he was doing.  
  
Hadn't he just teased her yesterday at the arcade? Now he had her  
  
topless, mindless and moaning as he tasted her...he shuddered. She  
  
arched against him, hips pressing his and he made a sudden realization.  
  
He lifted her, still wrapped around him, and laid them both across  
  
the bed.  
  
If the other stuff felt good when the kissing felt bad--just how  
  
good would the other stuff feel with Serena when the kissing  
  
felt so amazing? His body was tense with excitment--every touch   
  
only added to it. He couldn't wait to find out.  
  
He pulled his mouth from hers to kiss her throat again--saw her   
  
beautiful hair fanned across the bed--she really was pretty--And  
  
soft, and gently rounded in some very nice places. He ran his  
  
hands down her sides and felt the curve in her stomach, just before  
  
her hips.   
  
Serena felt him take one breast in his mouth again...then the other.  
  
She hoped her touches were bringing him as much pleasure as he was  
  
her. He suddenly rolled off of her and she instinctively followed,  
  
wrapping a possessive leg about his hips and making him smile. But  
  
she kept going and pushed him over to lay on top herself. He looked  
  
at her in surprise before she leaned down and kissed him urgently.  
  
Her hair tangled around his face and brushed his shoulders, he ran  
  
his hands through it to trace her face and hold it there before  
  
running his hands down over her body to her hips so he could press   
  
her tighter against him. He was overwhelmed. He could never   
  
remember feeling this way.   
  
He rolled her back over to finish what he had tried to start before.  
  
He ran both hands over her breasts, down her stomach and to the  
  
clasp of her pants. He felt her breath catch--the sudden nervousness.  
  
But he was not nervous. He undid them quickly, slid them down over her  
  
hips and reached a gentle hand down to touch her as he kissed her again.  
  
And he found her exactly as he had imagined--warm and ready. What he  
  
had never imagined was how good it felt to give her pleasure. He  
  
remembered feeling impatient before but not with Serena. He took his  
  
time, figured out which touch she liked and where and the arch of  
  
her body when he had found the right way was as pleasurable to him as her  
  
own touch might have been.   
  
Serena felt her thoughts fade away. Her focus narrowed so severely it  
  
made her light-headed. The most amazing blurring was happening to her  
  
vision and her body as the pleasure built. His touch was gentle and  
  
rhythmic and she felt her entire body humming with a sharp, sweet  
  
pleasure that kept building on itself. He drew his fingers up and  
  
she shivered. The feeling was almost like electricity--her body   
  
shook involuntarily. She felt her body opening, swelling and knew  
  
what it must mean--what it lead to. So this was how it happened.   
  
She could never have dreamed it feeling like this.  
  
She kissed Darien and he heard his name, breathy and pleasured in  
  
his ear. The effect it had on him frightened him with it's   
  
intensity. He shut his eyes as she kissed his throat, nipping  
  
his ear and making her way slowly to his mouth. She pulled back  
  
a little and finished what she had started to say, "Can I touch you  
  
too?"  
  
He only had time to look at her in surprise. Her eyes weren't even on  
  
him anymore. Her hands were at the button of his jeans and he  
  
couldn't breath. She pulled them down over his hips and he caught  
  
her hand. She looked up and could read the concern in his eyes  
  
so she smiled. He looked ready to say something but she spoke first,  
  
"I'm not afraid."  
  
She pulled her hand free and made a torturous exploration of his  
  
stomach and his hips before venturing beneath his boxers to touch  
  
him. She didn't think she could ever forget the expressions that  
  
crossed his face when she did and found herself very satisfied  
  
indeed. His breath caught and his eyes shut tight and she quickly  
  
employed her other hand to touch as much of him as possible. She  
  
stroked and squeezed and found he liked pretty much everything--which  
  
made it a lot of fun.   
  
When she settled into a comfortable, stroking rhythm like the  
  
one he had employed on her he turned and his hand found its  
  
way between her legs again. And for sometime they kissed  
  
and touched and stroked the other. Serena felt utterly lost.  
  
The long, deep kisses, his hot breath against her cheek, the  
  
lustful sounds he kept making...she could do this forever.  
  
Darien was just as content at first to let desire run it's course.  
  
He could feel it steadily building and unlike Serena, knew where  
  
it was leading. But this was different. Serena's hands on him.  
  
He'd never felt anything like this. It wasn't just the pleasure,  
  
the sharp sensation everytime her hand stroked him, the aching  
  
need for completion, the intensity striking him over and over,   
  
stronger and stronger until he thought he would explode with  
  
wanting and completion ringing out of him in all directions. It  
  
was more than that. It was a flood of emotion he could not  
  
read that suddenly wrenched out of him for her. There was so   
  
much of it, so many feelings he couldn't make them out. The one  
  
that struck clearly was gratitude. So much gratitude, for the  
  
pleasure for the sense of finding it at last...at last.....  
  
It was the emotion that made him pull away, forget his own body  
  
and want only to give her the most, the everything, the ultimate.  
  
He wanted to make it feel even better for her.   
  
He rolled her over and kissed his way down her body. Pulled her  
  
pants off, her underwear. She clutched her hands over herself  
  
in embarassment and he saw her face, flushed, her lips swollen  
  
from kissing, her breasts taut from pleasure and he forgot  
  
her embarassement in a wave of some other emotion he could not   
  
name. Her lush body, it was exactly what he wanted--and he had  
  
never known. Had never asked himself or been able to answer it.  
  
It was the most beautiful answer because he could not have known  
  
it until finding it. There was no expectation, only completion.  
  
She was everything.  
  
He pulled her hands away and replaced them with his mouth, his  
  
tongue and felt her jerk at the contact, then her breath catch  
  
and release in surprise. The pleasure. She shifted and then  
  
held absolutely still, only arching closer as he found the  
  
right places and the right rhythm. This was it, the most, the  
  
essence. They thought it together. Best of all was the half-gasp  
  
half-moan she gave all of sudden, when the pleasure turned sharp   
  
and sent a trembling wave through her body. She was so close.  
  
He could sense the exquisite agony of it. He felt what she felt.  
  
He was sure of it that moment. And a dim part of his mind   
  
realized there was something more going on. This experience  
  
was more than what it was....but he could not fathom it.  
  
Her body stiffened and shook in rapture then, a funny, broken  
  
sound coming from her mouth. He thought it might have been  
  
his name again and was immediately overwhelmed with more   
  
feelings, emotions, physical sensations. He felt the tingles  
  
of it through to the very hairs on his neck. What did it mean?  
  
Serena lay back, catching her breath and he felt very  
  
satisfied with himself. He climbed up over her  
  
and smiled, "Good?" He teased softly.  
  
She smiled a wicked, contented smile that was new and  
  
just for him and precious because of it though he could  
  
not say why but who cared when she looked that way?  
  
He gave her a long, languid kiss and her hands were warm  
  
and gentle and gracious on his face, in his hair, over his  
  
shoulders. Then she met his eyes and asked with a bright  
  
smile, "Can I do that to you?"  
  
It was asked with innocence and wanting and his eyes  
  
widened in surprise. His surprise gave away the answer  
  
and with obvious intent she kissed her way down, turning  
  
him over and tugging at his pants. He helped her kick  
  
them off, disbelieving she was actually offering but  
  
unable to resist. Her hands reached under his boxers  
  
and he shuddered and caught his breath. She slipped  
  
them off and touched him until he was crazy--absolutely  
  
crazy.   
  
"This is enough." He whispered and she ignored him,  
  
feeling suddenly powerful and talented and satisfied  
  
beyond anything else. He was hers this moment. She  
  
would be brave and return the incredible pleasure he  
  
offered her.   
  
She kissed his stomach, leaving a trail--how adorable   
  
his belly-button was. She felt a wave of sudden affection.  
  
"Wait." He suddenly gasped and fumbled around the bedside   
  
table for kleenex, "Here," He offered, "You might want this."  
  
She took it rather blankly but smiled gratefully anyway.  
  
Then she kept on her journey, determined not to be nervous,  
  
thinking only of the bliss he had just given her and how  
  
much she wanted to return it. That memory gave her  
  
the courage to take him in her mouth--the beautiful sound  
  
he made--followed by another--gave her the desire to finish.  
  
She ran her mouth and tongue over him until she found a rhythm  
  
and felt like a beautiful, erotic queen. The way he stilled   
  
when it felt really good, the way he arched up when she pulled   
  
away, the desperate little sounds and breaths that escaped him.   
  
Darien knew he had lost his mind completely. All he could pull  
  
together was one thought, it had never been like this, never  
  
like this, never...  
  
And he could feel himself getting closer and closer, my God,  
  
he thought, I'm not going to make, I'm going to die of pleasure.  
  
Sensation after sensation until I fade away, because there isn't  
  
enough of me to hold it together. Serena felt him tense and  
  
shudder and suddenly realized what the kleenex was for. She  
  
was grateful to have it and wiped out her mouth as he lay  
  
there gasping, his body sweaty and limp and hers....  
  
She smiled contently, that feeling was so strong and so   
  
satisfying. He was hers and no one elses...hers....  
  
She curled up beside him, enjoying the thrill of bare  
  
body against bare body. Darien felt sensations ebbing  
  
through him and in the aftermath an incredible vulnerability  
  
he had never felt before. It made him turn and say things  
  
he was horrified to hear. He pulled Serena into his arms  
  
and murmured in her ear, "Serena, don't leave me, don't leave  
  
me, stay with me..."  
  
What was he saying? He was making a fool of himself! He   
  
sounded needy and pathetic! But she only smiled a very  
  
pleased smile and stroked his face in a lazy, sleepy way,  
  
"I'm right here," She said and kissed him gently, "Ofcourse  
  
I'll stay..."  
  
He felt such comfort in hearing it he was ashamed of himself.  
  
What was going on here? She wrapped herself around him and  
  
nuzzled into his neck and it felt...amazing. With the desire  
  
seeping away her hair still looked beautiful and thrilled him  
  
to touch, her body still felt smooth and perfect...he could  
  
feel himself drifting to sleep, even with his thoughts so  
  
jumbled and anxious. There was something, there was something  
  
what was it? She felt like....what was it? She felt like  
  
something, like everything, like more than all of it...she felt  
  
like home...  
  



	3. Chapter 2

The Kiss of Enemies

Chapter 2: the morning after, the week after, the best gossip in the world!

Rated: R

Disclaimer: standard

Author: rain of silver stars

e-mail: pennames: natia99, silent moon1, CleverWitch1979

authors notes: Well, I think it's actually been a YEAR since I dusted this off and

even READ IT. So I've spent the last year trying to write a novel, which I am still

working on and 3 months ago I lost my mind and left Canada to teach English in Korea

for a year with no experience whatsoever simply because my boyfriend asked me join him.

Never say I'm not a romantic. Ah well, this particular boyfriend happens to be the

keeper, I've known him for...dear god, 11 years now. Just how old am I getting?

Anyhoo...was having a very depressing day, terrible writers block and of course a

fight with said boyfriend and I went to check on the website of a very old author

whose fic I adored, Mg, and lo-and-behold I find this penname in her favorite stories

list. After I die of joy I check out the link to my old stuff and read over 1 hundred

reviews which cheered me to no end. I had started this chapter a long time ago with

totally different intentions but decided to keep going with a new spin! Hope you

enjoy! I'm still so dazed and star struck that Mg listed me AND left feedback

(though she shat on Blood Love but rightly so, I will eventually shred that fic

to bits and re-write it with an actual plot-line, it has such a great opening!)

Alright, on with the show! Thanks for all the delightful, ego-saving reviews

that just made this lonely writers weekend :) :) :)

Darien woke up slowly, recognizing the dim, groggy feeling

that followed drinking too much. It took a moment to collect

where he was and then, that he wasn't alone...

He felt the warm press of a naked body against his, opened his

eyes to a head of blonde hair and found his hand resting on her

breast. And as the shock of that began to sink in she shifted,

tilting her face and he received, what he later determined, was

the greatest shock of his life. It was Serena.

The name seemed to echo, his brain desperately trying to remember

everything that had happened. How had he ended up in bed with

Serena? They hadn't...? They couldn't have...! But they were

naked! He was frozen with shock, unable to move, unable to

breath. He forced himself calm. He had to start at the beginning

and remember everything, one memory at a time.

First, the crazy redhead. Second, hiding out and getting more

drinks from Lita. Third, a lot of boardgames. Fourth...his

eyes widened as it came back, all at once...the kiss, the heady

rush of desire, the hours of making out...

Serena stirred. The moment was unavoidable. There was no time.

She opened her eyes and met his. Her mouth fell open in a tiny

"o" shape and nothing came out. He had expected her to scream.

Instead, her voice very hoarse asked, "Darien?"

He simply stared back at her, watching her senses slowly come

back.

"We're...we're naked." She gasped and then gave him an indescribable

look, "You have your hand on my..." She couldn't even say it and

he suddenly realized he still did have his hand on her breast.

He quickly let go and pulled up the sheet for her. She wrapped it

hastily around herself and he could see her trying desperately to

remember.

"I can't...we didn't, Darien we didn't...?" She faltered.

He shook his head, "No. Think back to the last thing you

remember and go from there...it'll come back to you."

He said it as though the 'coming back of it' would not be

much comfort.

He watched her mentally trace her steps, watched her remember

the kiss, watched her remember the rest. Her cheeks burned

very red and she met his gaze incredulously.

He nodded, answering the silent 'We didn't do all that--did we?'

Serena didn't think she could ever let it all sink in.

She hadn't just kissed him. If it had been only that, then

the mere fact that the kiss had been really really great

would have been shock enough for one lifetime. But she

hadn't just kissed him. They had...had...she turned

bright red all over again. She remembered everything. She

remembered how it had felt. She remembered everything she had

done to him. How was she supposed to face him now?

A sudden noise outside the door made them both jump. Darien

instinctively grabbed the covers higher over her and threw

an arm protectively over her--Serena could not help but notice

the gesture, he had done it without thinking and a funny part

of her was flattered.

Footsteps went by and disappeared as a door shut. A moment

later the shower came on.

Darien and Serena stopped holding their breaths. Darien was in

terror. They were still at Andrew's! What if he saw? What would

he say!

"We're still at Andrew's!" Serena repeated his observation out loud,

"What are we going to do?"

"I've gotta get you out of here! Quick before he gets out of the

shower!"

They both moved to leap from the bed and realized at the same moment,

they were naked.

"Uh...shut your eyes ok?" Darien said and she shut them tight.

He quickly threw back the covers and found his boxers, then searched

for her clothes. They were all over the place and he blushed at that.

He found her shirt and pants, her bra in the remnants of the checker

board...and finally her tiny pink underwear. It was a strange feeling

to pick them up. He didn't think he'd ever helped a girl find her

clothes after anything before. Usually the girls he made out with were

bold and picked up their own clothes. But Serena wasn't bold. She

was...embarassed. There was such an innocence to it all. It was the first

time searching for clothes and it was Serena. He didn't think he would

ever forget the sight of her pink cotton underwear.

He laid all her clothes beside her, grabbed his shirt and pants and

went around the other side of the bed.

"Ok." He told her.

Serena opened her eyes, saw her clothes piled neatly beside her and

felt an odd sensation at the sight. She turned to find Darien

dutifully facing away, slipping his t-shirt over his head. She

remembered pulling that t-shirt off and quickly turned back. She

put her clothes back on and started to collect the bobby pins and

hair elastics from the floor to fix her hair.

"Ok." She told him and he turned to find her twisting one of her

buns back in.

"Better not." He said quietly, coming over, "The less you look like

you until you're away from Andrew's, the better."

She dropped the bun. He was right. She tucked the pins away in her

pockets and their eyes met. Darien looked at her hair, hanging long

and loose and remembered telling her how pretty she looked. He

couldn't believe he'd admitted that. Worse, he saw her remember he'd

said it at the same moment. They both blushed. A change in the sound

of the shower made them both snap back to reality.

"I'd better hurry." She said quietly and grabbed her bag. She looked

about the room, the mess of board games and cards, the unmade bed.

"Sorry for the mess..." She said and stopped, feeling stupid--who cared

about the mess?

"S'Alright, I'll get to it."

They cracked the door open and peered out--much as they had the night

before. It was clear so they hurried for the stairs. Darien threw

the front door open, Serena ran out and turned back, and they hesitated.

It was such an awkward way to end things. They hadn't been able to talk

about it. Serena's head was spinning. When were they even going to? What

did it mean? Why had it happened?

Darien looked at her and felt an odd mix of sentences form. Like, for

instance, she was a really really good kisser. What? What the hell

was he thinking?

She watched the odd play of emotions on his face. A door slammed upstairs

and the moment was shattered. He had looked like he would say something but

instead he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"I-I'll talk to you later--ok?" He said hurriedly and shut the door as she

took off down the street.

He hurried back upstairs and met Andrew in the hallway, trying desperately

to look non-chalant. But Andrew looked very very amused.

"Your shirt's on backwards." He observed as he passed him and headed into

his own room.

Darien shut his eyes. Why me?

Serena meanwhile, sprinted all the way to Litas and beat down her door.

A very aggrieved and hungover looking Lita finally opened said door and

glared at her.

"Mshmah?" She said.

"LITA YOU HAVE TO TELL MY MOTHER I SLEPT HERE!" she hollared and Lita winced.

"I already did." she said dryly, "She called an hour ago."

Serena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where WERE you last night?" Lita asked.

Serena blushed, "I-I...look Lita this has to stay between you

and me...I stayed at Andrew's."

"WHAT!" Came Mina's voice, sounding betrayed.

"Mina's here?" Serena hissed.

"They're all here..." Lita muttered.

Mina came stumbling out with wild bedhead, followed by a

very cranky Rei and as Serena looked in she saw Chad still out

like a light on the couch.

"What do you mean you stayed at Andrew's!" Hissed Mina, stalking over like a

she-beast.

Serena's eyes widened and she stepped back, putting her hands up, "I didn't stay

WITH ANDREW!"

Now everyone's eyes widened, "Oh? And who DID you stay with?"

"No one!" Serena blurted, hoping she looked honest, "Andrew just let me crash

on his couch because I drank too much."

They looked skeptical a moment so she decided to play the lie to her advantage with

the obvious, "Don't you remember I was hiding out upstairs with DARIEN while he

avoided that redhead?"

They all seemed to remember slowly. Serena smiled, "You really think anything happened

with HIM?"

They all laughed and she joined in weakly. Oh God.

Lita ushered her in and they all drank coffee. Serena found some relief in Mina and Lita's

constant chatter about THEIR experiences at the party.

"It's really a shame you hate kissing Serena, because one of the guys there last night,

the blonde one that looked like that actor," she added to Mina who nodded, "He was just

incredible. I saw him kissing Rei later--what did you think of him Rei?"

Rei's eyes widened to epic proportions and she shot an alarmed glance to Chad who

slept on before glaring at Lita, "Shut UP!"

Lita laughed and exchanged a telling glance with Mina.

"Well, ANDREW was great!" Mina enthused, "You were so right Lita, he has the

most amazing hands!"

Serena smothered a smile. Andrew always seemed so cute and innocent to her. She

couldn't imagine him having "hands" in the way Mina was intoning.

Of course, she reflected with irony, there were a lot of things she just couldn't

have imagined before this moment, so who knew? Now that she thought back

over the night without that initial shock, the irony was settling in and she didn't

feel SO horribly upset. YES, it was Darien, YES he was the enemy, YES the shock

had very nearly killed her, but all that aside (she would process it later she was sure)

the experience itself had been...great. At least that made her feel better about her

kissing prospects. It made her feel better about a lot of things. If she had to choose

between thinking kissing sucked, and kissing Darien. Darien was beginning to look

like the better option.

She watched her friends chat with a smile and pictured each reaction if she told them the

truth. Then she shuddered. Soooooo not worth it. No, she would settle it between she

and Darien in private hopefully, and no one would ever have to know.

Unfortunately no one banked on Andrew. And if you asked Andrew, it was Darien's

fault. And if you asked Darien at this point he would only make a very tragic, choked

noise and hide his head in desperation.

Because when Darien finally came down--after cleaning the spare room like it had never

been cleaned before--he found Andrew lazily eating breakfast and smiling at him with

real satisfaction.

He let Darien sit down, pour coffee, get a good mouthful in and right before swallowing

asked, "So who was the blonde?"

And Darien's fatal choking on that coffee spelled his unfortunate downfall,

"No one." he muttered after he stopped choking.

"What was her name?" Andrew smiled, really interested now.

"I don't even know." Darien said, trying too hard to sound casual.

"You didn't even get her NAME!" Andrew laughed, "Whoa, how drunk WERE you?"

"Pretty drunk." Darien muttered with sincerity, drinking a lot more coffee and hoping

he somehow drowned, or skipped this day.

"Well, what DO you remember?" Andrew asked, "Did she say what she was studying?

She's probably from campus and came with a friend."

"I already TOLD you I don't know." Darien said, trying to seem annoyed and

much more hungover than he really was--which really frightened him--if he wasn't

that hungover, just how SOBER had he been? "It's a night I want to forget ok?"

Unfortunately this only peaked Andrew's curiosity and led him to comb the

spare room with eagle eyes after Darien left.

So that when Serena came into the arcade later on her own and sat down at the bar

to wait for Darien, Andrew strolled over very smug indeed. He reached into his

pocket and pulled out two bobby pins, laying them down in front of her and saying,

"You left these at my place I think."

Serena's eyes narrowed, assessing Andrew anew, "Those could be anyone's bobby pins."

she hissed in self-defense.

But Andrew grinned, "True, but..." he reached into his pocket and this time pulled out

a whopping handful which he dropped down in front of her before adding, "...how many people wear THIS MANY?"

Serena's eyes widened.

"He hid them UNDER the bed," Andrew scoffed, "Like I wouldn't find them there!"

A normal guy wouldn't have, she reflected. But Andrew was not normal.

"Not a word Andrew!" She threatened.

"Or what?" Andrew taunted, "This is just the best gossip I think I've

EVER had my hands on."

"Or I'll tell Mina YOU kept me warm while I slept off my drinking

at your place!"

Andrew's smile vanished, "What!"

The tinkle of the bell announced the arrival of Darien and it was

perfect timing.

"Yes, and you know who will back up my story?" Serena said confidently.

Darien walked over uneasily and saw the pile of bobby pins with horror.

"Under the BED?" Serena said with disgust, "You couldn't have just TAKEN

THEM WITH YOU? I mean REALLY!"

"You hunted through the ROOM after I left?" Darien accused Andrew.

"Hell YEAH!" Andrew retorted, "You wouldn't tell me who it was!"

"Not a WORD Andrew!" Darien threatened.

Andrew rolled his eyes but Serena repeated her threat, "Or WE'LL tell

Mina I spent the night with YOU!" She looked at Darien expectantly and

he looked pretty impressed and high-fived her. They faced Andrew

united and his face crumpled into disappointment.

"Bums!" He muttered and slinked away to clean the equipment, "Spoilsports.

I'm never going to have gossip this great again EVER."

Serena rolled her eyes and met Darien's pale face, "Yeah, lets never tell

anyone."

He looked so relieved she almost laughed, "Oh thank god. I'm so glad

you feel that way."

Their eyes met and held for a moment. Darien said quietly, "Do we need

to talk about it though?"

She looked thoughtful, "What are we supposed to say? She regarded him

intensely, "You don't think it was great just because it was US do you?

That can't be right."

"Noooo," he said quietly, "But it was great."

They smiled in agreement, then looked a little embarrassed.

He broke into a smile then, similar to the naughty one he had so shocked

them all with the day before--but it held no secrets from Serena anymore,

she merely smiled back wryly in return.

"The way I see it, this works out great for both of us. Now we've

got the hang of it, and our bad times are over!" He said.

"Agreed," she chimed, "Our kissing problems are solved!"

"Yeah, and since we're...well, enemies--albeit good-natured ones--we

have nothing to regret."

They settled it with another high-five, "It's a win-win." agreed Serena and

really thought she meant it. So did Darien.

It can be observed at this point, that neither of them remembered the

night completely.

Darien walked out of the arcade then, with much more jaunt in his stride than

entering--no matter that Andrew bored holes into his back with his glare of

disappointment. But as he stepped out into the sun, the angle of him in the

light finally reminded Serena completely of that night and some of the things

she had felt and had not expected to. She wondered uneasily if she could ever

enjoy that feeling of equal parts possession and surrender with anyone in

such a powerful way. It couldn't have been just DARIEN that made her feel

that way could it? He was just the first guy she had felt any real chemistry

with--even if it came mostly in the form of barbs and arguments.

For Darien there was only an uneasy prickling in the back of his mind that he

had forgotten something. Being a guy he was sure whatever it was he had forgotten

was best left that way and so he let it go.

This miraculous truce might have lasted. But because it was Darien and Serena,

because Andrew loved gossip almost as much as he loved Mina, and because I am the

author of this fic, things were doomed from the start.

Darien was so happy with this turn of events and how they had come up unexpectedly

in his favour that he was quite nice to Serena for the rest of the week. So nice

in fact that the girls began to grow suspicious.

That friday when Darien sauntered into the arcade and greeted Serena with a broad,

happy grin and a wave, she blew, "For heaven's sakes Darien! AT LEAST call me

Meatballhead! Could you BE more obvious! What if the girls were around?"

"I'm sorry!" he laughed unrepentantly, "I just can't contain my joy!" he mocked

and leaning in while no one was looking he said quietly, "Bet you can't stay angry

when I tell you what a great kisser you are!"

And to his credit Serena couldn't help but smile, and laugh.

And at this precise moment the girls DID walk in and all eyes narrowed on the pair.

"You two are AWFULLY cheerful!" Mina chimed, "What's up?"

"Yeah, where's the usual fire and war?" Lita half-joked, but her eyes were keenly

suspicious.

Serena stood heavily on Darien's foot and muttered, "Idiot!" out of the corner of

her mouth.

Darien made a hasty exit, "Gotta run!"

Serena bit back her rage. What a hideous TRAITOR! This was ALL his fault! She was

soon surrounded at the bar and the girls were accosting her.

"Yeah why ARE you two getting along so well lately?" Rei asked and Andrew looked rather

tortured as he dried out a glass.

"Did something happen at the party?" Mina asked in a moment of strange insight.

Andrew made a choked sound and turned away.

Serena glared daggers at him, "As a matter of fact it did." she said and everyone,

including Andrew, froze.

"Really?" Lita said.

"With who?" blurted Ami and blushed immediately.

Andrew's eyes were watching her with real interest now.

"I don't remember his name!" Serena said sounding aggravated and Andrew rolled

his eyes and turned away again, "That's not the point. The point is, kissing

doesn't suck after all!"

"That's great, and true Serena, but what does it have to do with DARIEN?" Rei

asked and Andrew silently cheered her.

"Apparently the same thing happened to HIM after the redhead left and we parted

ways." Serena said non-chalently and to her credit, she pulled it off, "We've been

celebrating our mutual good luck."

Andrew made another choked sound.

"HA! What a coincidence!" said Rei and for a brief moment Andrew thought she had

figured it out and turned grinning with elation but, "That's KARMA! BOTH of you

being proven wrong on the same night!"

"AUGH!" cried Andrew, he could bear it no more, "It was with EACH OTHER!" he practically

screamed, "THEY KISSED EACH OTHER AND IT WAS GOOD!"

Everyone froze again and looked at Serena, "WHAT!"

"THAT IS NOT TRUE!" hollared Serena, her eyes almost red with rage, "The truth is

it was ANDREW!"

Now all eyes turned to Andrew.

"WHAT!" screeched Mina's voice much louder than the others.

Andrew paled but it was his word against Serena's, "That's not true,

I swear it! It was THEM! I found them the next morning in the

spare room!"

It was like tennis, everyone looked at Serena, "You did not!" Serena

cried, "YOU snuck me out the front before Darien got out of the shower!"

Andrew glared in return, "NOT TRUE! I was the one in the shower when

YOU snuck out! I would have known it was you from the first but your

BUNS were out!"

He pulled out all the bobby pins, "But I found THESE under the bed

after Darien left and then I KNEW IT WAS YOU!"

Mina's eyes narrowed, "What are YOU doing with the bobby pins if

it was DARIEN?"

Serena smiled in triumph.

"I snooped the room after Darien wouldn't tell me who it was! I knew

something was up, he was so edgy and kept trying to brush it off!

And then when I figured it out they threatened me, but this is the

best gossip I think I've ever had!"

"You SNOOPED through the room after they left?" said Mina incredulously.

Serena gave him an almost pitying look.

"That's BRILLIANT!" Mina finished, "That's TOTALLY what I would have

done!"

"You don't believe him do you?" Cried an outraged Serena.

The girls looked at her intensely.

"You would never make out with someone any of us liked Serena." Rei

said matter-of-factly, "It's not in your nature."

"And what ELSE could prompt a truce between YOU and DARIEN?" pointed out

Lita.

"TRAITERS!" Serena hissed.

"This is GREAT!" Mina cheered, "You two will make a GREAT couple! All that

chemistry, no WONDER it was so good!"

Serena paled then and jumped up, "Oh no no no. Don't even THINK about

match-making Mina!"

But Mina's eyes had narrowed and she was rubbing her hands together and

the rest of them looked equally devious.

Serena ran out of the arcade with a yelp. She had to find Darien and warn him.

She had to tell him they knew before the girls found him!

And that was how she came to find herself on Darien's enormous campus in time

to see him cornered by none other than...the obnoxious redhead. She really

was quite aggressive, Serena observed. Darien looked a bit wild trying to get away

from her. In fact, he looked much different on his campus than he did in the

arcade. He suddenly seemed younger, and less at the helm. With a smile, Serena

headed over to rescue him. She straightened her posture, brushed the skirt

down on her school uniform and marched over trying to look a lot more confident than

she actually felt.

"Hey handsome," she said, catching him by surprise. Then she turned him round, threw

her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Out of the corner of her eye

she saw the redhead stalk off in a huff. But she found herself in no hurry to end the

kiss. It was even better than her drunken memory had been able to recall and they held

on some moments longer than necessary.

Darien had a hard time collecting himself and found disturbing memories clouding his

mind from that night at the party. This didn't just feel good, this felt friggin fantastic

and he was SOBER and it was SERENA. Just what was going on? The feel of her, the

smell of her, the sensation of having her close, they were bringing up feelings he could

not understand, had never felt before. They scared the crap out of him and still he could

not find the will to let go.

They finally pulled away from each other, a little dazed. A couple of the guys in one of

his classes standing nearby whistled and forever after he was referred to by them as "the

King" for having a High School girlfriend who made-out with him on campus in her cute

sailor fuku uniform. It was highly embarrassing.

Serena stared at him in surprise.

"That was good." she said in a low voice.

They both frowned. Finally Darien dared to speak, "But that's good right? It's

a good thing. A good sign. We've got the hang of this now and it'll be better

from now on, with everyone else."

Serena seemed to take heart at this, "Yes! I for one cannot WAIT to try it out

with other guys!"

They nodded vigorously in agreement but still looked a little frightened.

Finally Serena remembered why she had come.

"The girls know. Andrew ratted us out. And though I TOLD them it was me

and Andrew they believed his stupid weasley snooping of your room afterwards

and decided it was you and I instead."

Darien's eyes narrowed, "Man, I have got to get some revenge on that guy.

He is always doing stuff like this to me!"

Then he seemed to realize the implications, "Wait, what will YOUR friends do?"

Serena turned red, "They will assume we are meant to be together...and you can

pretty much guess the rest."

Darien put his head in his hands and moaned, "Oh nooooo. Augh! At least you

warned me in advance. Thanks."

Alas, after that moment, things became increasingly difficult for the duo. Every time

Serena sat anywhere NEAR Darien at the bar Andrew would ask, "What'll it be for my

favorite love-birds?"

The rumour of Darien's "hot high school girlfriend" spread like wildfire, and though it

rid him of the redhead it gained him more attention than she had ever given him.

The girls spent endless hours plotting throw-them-together schemes which ultimately

back-fired into truly humiliating catastrophes. Like stranding them in a rowboat with no

oars. Or locking them in the broom closet of the arcade which resulted in discovering

Darien's horrible allergy to floor cleaner.

Probably the meanest thing they did came from Mina. As revenge for lying about

spending the night with Andrew, she told Serena's mother that she had a boyfriend and

said mother asked her for EVERY detail until Serena went batty from daily naggings and

stories and lectures.

The battery was so constant that they began to be recognized outside the arcade as a

couple. When they showed up at the bookstore--separately and by chance--the owner

suggested a romantic book for new couples in love after saying heartily, "Aren't you that

nice couple from the arcade my regulars are always talking about?"

The "regulars" turned out to be Ami who Serena berated to no end.

Worst of all, they constantly had to unite fronts to endure this torture and there was no

time to fight anymore.

"I can't remember the last time we argued." Darien complained as they made their

way to her place under one umbrella. Serena's had MAGICALLY disappeared at the

arcade and no one had one to lend her. JERKS.

"You haven't insulted my hair OR my test scores in weeks." she said sadly.

"Wait!" Darien said with sudden glee, "I think I have just the thing to end all

this madness! This weekend there's a big party on campus! You invite the girls

and we can just go make-out with other people and they'll FINALLY have to let it

go!"

"You're brilliant!" Serena raved happily.

"I do what I can." he smiled, "I'll give you the directions and all that tommorrow

at the arcade! See ya!"

He disappeared from her doorstep and back into the rain and she reflected that, although

she missed the fighting, he could be rather charming when he wanted to be.

But it didn't matter. None of this ridiculousness mattered anymore. It would all

be resolved when she went to the party and tried out her new-found powers on

the most un-Darien-like guy she could find.

Darien felt equally happy as he arrived home. This was just the thing. One more

party to fix things so they were the way they used to be.

_Excellent_...he thought. Soon order would be restored to the universe.

dun dun dun, the longest chapter in history! and no smut! I'm a little disappointed

with myself but have no fear, next chapter just HAS to have smut right?

How will this second party turn out? Torture me with demanding reviews and threatening

e-mails and you might just find out! ;) It's the middle of the night, I'm going to

watch Charlie's Angels 1 on DVD in my little box of a korean apartment and tomorrow I

shall endeavor to write the next chapter. But you should allll know you are keeping me

from writing my novel. ! It's already 240 pages long, I'm so proud of it. :D


	4. Chapter 3

The Kiss of Enemies

Chapter 3: That Fatal Second Party

Rated: R

Disclaimer: standard

Author: rain of silver stars

Darien was having a very satisfying dream. Only two unfortunate factors marred

this dream. One: the dream featured Serena, sans clothing and wrapped

tantalizingly around him. But it was SERENA! Yet he found himself murmuring

her name and forgetting what he was SUPPOSED to think of her which leads us

to TWO: he was dreaming after falling asleep on his textbook, in the arcade, at

the bar, and near Andrew.

When his hand finally gave out and his face slammed into said book, he awoke

with a start saying "Serena?" and found instead a grinning Andrew mere inches

away.

"SURE you don't have a thing for her pal?" he asked without asking at all.

"Dirty dreams don't count." Darien muttered darkly and Andrew laughed.

"You two are going to end up married. Just wait."

"Whatever." Darien replied, "Tonight we're going to the party and we're going to

make out with other people and YOU can't stop us!"

But Andrew shook his head confidently, "I'm leaving it up to Fate--who has done

remarkably and amusingly well so far I might add."

There was just no winning with Andrew.

His dreams of Serena had been getting more frequent and more intense lately

though. He needed this party.

The nagging sense in the back of his mind that he had forgotten something really

important; that there was something dangerous about this attraction; it wouldn't

let up. He was feeling rattled. And he hated that feeling. It was the one feeling

he avoided at all costs.

It wasn't even the fact that it was Serena, teen whiner, antithesis of proper

temptress and all around obnoxious clutz that had him feeling that way. While

those were all valid reasons, plus a few more he could add on off the top of his

head, the main cause of the disturbance wasn't **who** made him feel that way but

**how** he felt. This fleeting attraction had brought with it a jumble of emotions he

did not care to explore. It was some kind of freakish early-twenties brain crisis he

decided. Not only could HE of all people absolutely NOT feel this way, but

definitely not for SERENA. First of all, she was too young. And too loud. And

too insane. And too loud. And since when did that whole cute and innocent thing

ring his bell? Since never, he told himself firmly as visions of her in the white

mini-skirt she had worn yesterday began sashaying around his head with

alarming results.

Across town, in the pre-party preparations Serena found herself equally

harassed—not by her brain but by an over-enthusiastic Mina. With thoughts of

luscious Andrew dancing through her head, Mina was on a vicious new

bandwagon wherein all must be romantically linked together in some fashion.

And Serena with Darien was even more enthralling than Rei with Chad.

"He's hot Serena, you have to admit!" she was saying as Serena fiddled with her

earring.

"Who cares?" Serena retorted, "Not only are LOTS of other people hot, but it

totally doesn't matter that HE is because he's so evil!"

"You two seem to have been getting along THIS week—ever since your make-

out session actually." Mina observed slyly.

"We haven't had a choice!" Serena shrieked, starting to lose patience, "We've

had to join forces against an even greater evil—YOU! And it's positively

unnatural getting along with Darien! It's a veritable oxymoron!"

Mina had to pause at that and reflect, not for the first time, how vastly expanded

Serena's vocabulary had become after a week in close-quarters with her enemy.

Now THAT was positively unnatural!

Expanded vocabulary aside, Serena's list of reasons for not even considering

Darien were much more reflective of her age and personality.

First of all, he was too tall. Second of all he was a total jerk who made fun of her

hair. Thirdly, he read books ALL the time and never laughed except when

making fun of her hair. Also, he was a total jerk.

"Deeeeeee-nial." Sang Mina softly in her ear and she glared daggers at her

Andrew-smitten friend.

"Is it time to go YET?" she asked desperately.

"Almost….but not quite." Teased Mina.

"Rei looks comfortable and happy," Serena observed, "Isn't it her turn to be

tortured?"

Lita laughed as she emerged from the bathroom. She was the only one of the

group not yet paired off—save for Ami, but the girls had planned a naughty

surprise for their bookish friend and invited her old friend Greg to the party. The

now tallish and still studious fellow had jumped at the opportunity—apparently

having never forgotten their shy friend.

So Lita was the last bachelorette—though Serena shrieked denials by the hour.

Lita however, was unfazed and in her flashy outfit and dangly earrings she was

confident that her status would soon be drastically altered.

"Lita, you're going to come home with TEN boyfriends!" Mina laughed.

"Why have just one?" Lita quipped, packing her purse.

Rei headed into the bathroom after her to take out her bundle of hot rollers and

they heard her cursing and muttering as she burned her fingers. But when she

came out she looked as beautiful as any of the girls could remember and they

realized her feelings for the shaggy Chad were quite genuine. Who knew, maybe

the boy would get a haircut? Unlikely.

Soon they were off and Serena felt a mixture of anticipation and relief. This

madness would soon be over. They took cabs to the campus and followed the

photocopy map to the dorm. It was already loud with music and crowded with

drinkers. Every male head in the place took in the sight of the school girls with

real delight. Serena sought out Darien without realizing and they gave each

other an encouraging nod. She could see he had taken the same pains with his

appearance that she had. Tonight had to count. Now that they had located each

other they could head off in separate directions.

She flashed him a 'good luck' smile. Mina was right. Darien was handsome.

And when he wore dark colours like tonight, the best of his looks were shown to

their advantage. She didn't think she'd ever seen him dressed so casually, in a t-

shirt and jeans. He looked….younger. She shook off the odd wash of feeling

that realization gave her—as though she were forgetting something again that

she could not remember.

He smiled back, gave her a thumbs-up and headed down the hallway in the

opposite direction. But he passed by his first four opportunities because he could

not get the image of Serena in her black, off-the-shoulder top and low-slung skirt

out of his head.

Finally he settled into a nice conversation with a dark-haired, studious and

respectably aged girl who started giving him very inviting smiles. And when they

found themselves alone later and she leaned in to kiss him he met her halfway.

Unfortunately the kiss was a dismal failure—at least for Darien. He thought of

trying to find someone else but he had a sinking feeling it just wasn't going to

work that way. And he needed to get Serena out of his head.

He kept on kissing the dark-haired girl, whose name he already couldn't

remember and then headed out to get them drinks. Because it was going to take

some alcohal to get through this part.

He comforted himself that he only needed to get to the good stuff and he would

be back on track. Back to normal. Yes.

Meanwhile, Serena was getting more and more annoyed. She had already gone

through five guys and the kissing was getting progressively worse. She too

headed rather desperately for the punch bowl on her floor. Maybe it had been

the drinking that had enhanced the experience. It couldn't have been DARIEN. It

just couldn't.

She sat down with her drink and looked around for her friends. Lita was

hamming it up with a curly haired Junior, Rei and Chad were already in a dark

corner and Ami was avidly chatting with Greg. Mina and Andrew

were….somewhere. Serena grew more annoyed. EVERYONE was having fun

but HER. This SUCKED.

Lita made her way over and sat down, "You look miserable. Your plan hasn't

worked so far?"

"No." Serena muttered darkly.

"How many have you tried?"

"At least five."

"Well, try one more. Come meet Steve's friend Paul. He's blonde, funny, easy-

going and not that tall. He's the anti-Darien!"

Serena smiled and followed her over. And after a few more drinks she and

"Paul" stumbled upstairs. The kissing still sucked but Serena hoped that the rest

of it would be nice and finally banish the wretched Darien from her thoughts.

Alas, as you have already correctly guessed, this proved not to be so. In fact it

proved to be nothing but the usual drunken groping and Serena finally blew her

top, launched the unsuspecting Paul off of her with a strength uncanny for her

size and fueled entirely by the rage the comes in particular with teenage girl

disappointment, and left the room.

The sight that greeted her in the hallway however, was not the one she expected.

Four doors down emerged an equally disheveled Darien, whose t-shirt was inside

out and who looked as angry as she felt. He was muttering and banging his fist

off the walls and finally settled back against said wall with a sigh of anger and

despair. And she realized, the same thing had happened to him. He had just

stormed out of his own equally dismal failure of a make-out session.

Serena stalked over to him, "It happened to you too, didn't it?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin before rounding on her, "What are you talking

about?"

But Serena knew better, "Your attempt sucked JUST as bad as mine, didn't it!"

Darien's face fell in defeat, "Yours sucked too?"

"He grabbed my breasts!" she expostulated.

"He WHAT?" Darien heard himself yell before realizing.

"I think HE thought he was doing something nice to them—but he soooo wasn't!"

Serena replied without noticing his sudden, random attack of jealousy, instead

she turned and pointed at him, " It's you! You've ruined everything!"

"I'VE ruined everything!" Darien retorted, "You've ruined the GOOD STUFF!" he

was quite dramatic on this point and waved his arms about to express how all-

encompassing this disaster was, " It's ALLLL ruined because of you! With your

stupid black skirt and your crappy one-shouldered shirt and your lame pretty hair

and your strange voodoo kissing!"

Serena blinked and regarded him anew, "I don't think I've ever seen you freak out

before."

He stopped waving his arms and met her gaze, "I don't think I've ever had a

reason too!"

They both leaned back against the wall, "Look," Serena said, "There's only one

thing to do."

"Throw ourselves into traffic?" Darien moaned.

Serena rolled her eyes, "No, make-out with each other."

Darien stiffened, "Oh no! No no no no no no no no!"

He began to back away as she turned, "Look, I know it's insane, because it's us.

But what can we do? Obviously, it's us!"

"That can't be." He said, his face white with horror, "You're too young, and loud,

and crazy, and young….."

"Yes well, you're a jerk and you're way too tall for me—" he seemed taken aback

by that and slouched a little, "And you read too much and you're SO obnoxious

about what you learn! Really it seems impossible, but we already know it isn't."

"Yes it is!" he said a little desperately, "It IS impossible!"

"Look, maybe we don't get along because underneath it all, we have something

that's actually good." She said with inadvertent insight.

"I don't understand," he said, more to himself than her, "Why is it you?"

She looked equally baffled but stepped toe to toe with him and looked up into his

face. It was still there, the feeling. She knew he would meet her halfway as she

leaned up, even as he muttered something that sounded a lot like "We

shouldn't…"

They probably shouldn't. But they were going to anyway.

And the kiss felt just as fantastic as the first. It was uncanny. Serena's hands

slid up into his hair and he felt the skin on his neck break out in goosebumps at

the pleasure. What did it mean? It was more than just attraction, there was a

moment in the kiss and it was so intense he didn't know what to do with it. She

drew away though and caught it, palm to his cheek and when he looked into her

eyes he didn't see a teenager, or the Serena he knew from the arcade at all, it

was something else. Something that drew him in and terrified him all at once.

She leaned up and caught his bottom lip and he lost himself completely, catching

her up in his arms and making the height difference obsolete.

It was Rei who caught them like that as she and Chad hunted for a free room.

She never told them she saw but said only, very quietly to Chad, "My God, they

actually have the real thing."

But this was the one thing that Darien did not want to admit. He pushed it from

his mind just as Serena began to realize it herself. But there could be no

summoning of will against the sensation. He fumbled with one hand for a door

handle, any door handle, and found the room behind them unlocked—and empty.

They stumbled inside and he locked it before pulling feverishly at her clothes.

They were both a little drunk and both overhwhelmed. But Serena wasn't so

drunk that she didn't begin to appreciate it this time. Her woman's mind was

coming to the helm and she ordered this experience in her mind with that

feminine logic which so terrifies men. This felt good. Good feelings were subject

to the law of cause and effect. Something was causing it to be good. That

something had meaning and could be exploited for further feelings of goodness

with the addition of more of these factors. In other words, if touching Darien felt

good then she must feel something for him and exporing that feeling could only

yield more good. The conclusion of this experience could only be the pursuit of

more.

Unfortunately for Serena, Darien did not possess this logic and was left behind

after the sentence "This feels good."

Such is the balance of the universe.

Logic aside however, the electricity of the connection they shared was felt by

both as shirts came off and skin met skin. Serena found her own instincts

exciting as she instinctively pressed up against him and ran her hands over his

back and into his hair. She wrapped her legs around him as he lifted her and

turned her to lay down on the bed. It wasn't a bed so much as a mattress on the

floor with a scattering of blankets, but it was heavenly to sink into with him. His

mouth never left hers and in the heated tangle of lips and tongue she had a fierce

sensation of having him completely that rekindled what she had felt that first night

but forgotten. He was hers. And now that she remembered it clearly, she never

wanted to let that feeling go.

She hooked her legs about his hips and let his weight crush her for a long

moment. And he let her. He let her have whatever she wanted. This was not

the Darien from the arcade tucked away in a book with all his walls in place. And

it wasn't the taunting boy who kept himself guarded—she realized—behind the

making fun. This was a Darien both generous and lost. She was all that held

him together and he her.

And when he finally pulled away to kiss a line from her throat to her breasts she

was so ready. She arched up to meet him and gave over her thoughts and her

conclusions. This feeling would take care of itself. It was a power unto itself and

all they could do was the ride the crest of it wherever it led them.

She drew him back up to kiss her and fiddled with his belt and pants until finally

pulling them off so that he groaned against her mouth. Then he pulled back,

breathing hard, his eyes unfocused and reached for what he thought was the

buckle to her pants. Then his face changed and a funny smile turned up the

corners of his mouth as he said, "Oh, I forgot it was a skirt."

She couldn't help but giggle at the silly, appreciative look on his face before he

slid his hands up her legs and under. And then she really started to remember

that first night. She couldn't believe how much she'd forgotten. She could see

him remembering too as he pulled off her underwear and touched first tentatively

and then with confidence. He remembered what she liked.

And she remembered what he liked. Her hands wandered down, pulling at his

boxers and stroking him until he lost his rhythm with her and his balance so that

he toppled over. He landed on his side and she made short work of his boxers

and he of her skirt so there was nothing between them and then they had a fairly

humorous battle of wills as to who would please who. Darien rolled her over but

Serena surprised him with sudden strength and rolled him back making to kiss

her way down his stomach before he caught her with a laugh of surprise. They

finally settled on their sides facing each other and stroking at the other while they

kissed. It felt incredible but it wasn't enough.

Darien knew it wasn't enough and Serena was stirring restlessly too until she

finally pushed his hand away with her thigh and wrapped one leg around his hips.

A rush of heat had his hand slipping around to grasp her against him before

rolling her over and pressing between her legs without entering.

He kissed her mindlessly before pulling away to murmur, "Serena, I want…..I

want…"

He never had to finish because she was already nodding, her hands kneading his

back impatiently. He fumbled up blankly and grabbed for his pants. In the

pocket his mind repeated senselessly. In the pocket…

Finally he found the one condom he had brought on a whim. He was so out of it

he had a hard time focusing enough to open it. Serena sat up, tangling around

him to grab for it, "Hurry up!" she barked impatiently, "Open it!"

They both tried and wrestled with it, muttering and arguing as though it were a

milkshake at the arcade. But neither noticed this uncanny similarity—or telling

comfort level.

"No, here, let me!" he finally retorted, shaking off her hands.

He gave the package a determined look and ripped it hard—a little too hard in

fact He tore both package AND condom in two.

They both stared blankly at it a moment before his eyes met hers. And then, for

some reason, it was hilarious. He tossed it aside as they both laughed rather

drunkenly. Then he reached for her with a broad smile, "You first."

She smiled back but shook her head, "No you."

"Mm-mm, you."

"I was first last time!"

"So?"

"So! It's your turn."

But Darien was not to be deterred and laid her back with the strength that comes

from being tall. Her legs were still tangled around him and the sensation of bare

body against bare body was one that had him shutting his eyes in pleasure. He

kissed her with all his strength, then her breasts and finally down her stomach.

He could feel her heart beating fast, feel the strain of her body towards him and

the heat. She smelled soft and sweet and innocent and…….his. It was a feeling

he had never known before. She had given over to him and now he held her

completely. It was overwhelming and sank into him deeply. He tried to tell

himself she had only given herself over to the pleasure, but he couldn't shake the

feeling that it was more.

He kissed his way between her legs, memory serving him so that she shook and

strained and gasped beneath him. He swore he could feel what she was feeling.

The pleasure was shared. And at that memory he finally started to clearly recall

that first night. He let the memories come—they were all of feeling incredibly

good and he felt no danger from them.

Serena came apart in his arms and he savoured the feeling, gathering her up in

his arms as she clung and buried her face in his neck while her breathing

returned to normal. One of her buns had come undone and he gently undid the

other, pulling pin after pin out until he had to laugh at the sheer volume. My God

she was patient to spend this much time doing her hair.

Finally her hair was down and curled about her after being wound so tightly. He

ran his fingers through it and she gave a murmur of contentment. Then she

mumbled into his chest, "Is there any tissue?"

"Tissue?" he frowned and looked around, "Yeah, there's a box here. Why?"

She pulled herself up lazily and smiled, "Because it is SO your turn now!"

There was something wicked in her eyes then and he found himself rather

satisfied that he had put it there. She grabbed a handful of tissue before turning

him to lay down on the bed. He fell back with a smile and let her have her way.

Her long hair trailed down her back and she made a very sexy sight as she

straddled him. He caught up that hair as she leaned down to kiss him and

tangled their bodies together, laying down so that he was pressed between her

legs and stroked against the very edge of her until he was nearly out of his mind

for her. She seemed to enjoy it too and let him grasp her tight against him and

grind them together for some long moments.

She finally pulled back and slid down to take him in her mouth making him stiffen

and groan with that same sound of surrender she remembered delighting in last

time. She employed her hands this time and felt him shake with pleasure as she

drew him closer and closer. The incredible thing about it was how shared the

pleasure was, and how connected she felt. He was, in a strange way, vulnerable

like this and she enjoyed being the touch and presence that lured that out. She

swore she could feel the rise and fall of his pleasure within herself. The rhythm

was so intuitive, the beats of pleasure timing and resounding from them both with

a familiarity that struck so deep it left her feeling small, and ancient and

awakened and alive. What would happen when they did this together? She was

almost frightened to find out.

She felt him surrender, body arching and shuddering, unable to hold that

pleasure together. It could only be a shattering, the return a gathering together of

what was and what would be. She climbed over him and felt his arms tighten

around her with sudden possession, thrilling her as she remembered the

protective way he'd covered her that morning at Andrew's.

Their eyes met and in that moment Darien finally remembered that last of that

night. The humiliating wash of feeling that had overwhelmed him and broken his

pride and left him begging not to be alone anymore. And he could feel it coming

again. The desire to hang on and to be comforted. Serena watched his face go

white with sudden fear and then he lept up as though burnt.

"I can't do this!" he blurted and hurried back into his clothes with such speed

Serena had barely time to realize he'd said it.

"What?"

"I-I can't do this!" he said again, his eyes a little wild, "I can't…." he held her gaze

for a moment and trailed off, the clutch in his gut at the innocent expression of

concern in her eyes buckling his will with frightening strength. But then he

seemed to grow even more terrified and bolted from the room leaving a

bewildered Serena in his wake.

A few days later at the arcade, a still bewildered was catching up with the girls—

whose newfound various love-interests had kept them from properly relating the

party events to one another….yet.

Though Rei and Chad's first night had proved heady fodder, and Lita's new

college beau had some unusual talents and Mina could NOT stop raving about

Andrew even the newly smitten Ami had ditched Greg for the afternoon to hear

the real dirt—Serena and Darien's latest encounter.

Andrew had stopped pretending to dry glasses and was now leaning avidly

across the counter. Darien had vanished after that party and would not answer

his phone. Andrew was as gossip starved as the rest of them.

"So he just took off?" Lita repeated, eyes wide.

"What did you guys talk about before that?" Rei asked, "I mean, you must have

acknowledged that you're both….you know….more than friends."

Serena shook her head, "I never had time to say anything! He left right after—"

she met the slew of suddenly interested eyes and cut her own sentence off, "He

just bolted before either of us had said anything."

"He must have said SOMETHING!" Amy blurted before turning hideously red.

"He said….uh…..he said 'I can't do this.'" Serena recalled, "That's all he said and

he looked really afraid."

Rei seemed to think about that, "Well, how do you feel about it?"

Serena was remarkably calm, "Well, to be honest, I never would have considered

it. I mean, it is Darien." She said weakly, but she wasn't even convincing herself

anymore, "But now…the feeling just has to mean something and I want to know

what that is. So I guess, I'd be willing to give it a shot."

Rei smiled. Mina hadn't stopped smiling since she first found out about their

encounter. Lita shook her head, "You guys need to talk it out."

"What's he so afraid of?" Serena wondered out-loud.

But now Andrew shook his head gravely, "It's a little more complicated than that

with Darien."

Mina scoffed, "This can only bring them happiness. What are you saying, that

he's afraid of happiness?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Andrew replied.

"Huh?" Serena said—though they were all thinking it.

"Listen Serena," Andrew explained, "Your parents are married and happy right?

When you think of meeting someone and falling in love you see a happy future

ahead of you."

Serena nodded.

"Well," Andrew continued, "Darien's never known any of that. And he's been on

his own for a long time now."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked, eyes swimming with that fierce concern that

made her such a good friend.

"Oh my God!" Rei gasped, "Your right Andrew, I totally forgot!"

She turned to Serena and took her hands, "Darien was in a horrible accident

when he was five or six years old and lost both his parents—and his memory!

He can't remember ever having a family and grew up in an orphanage."

Serena's face had clouded with horror.

"No wonder he's afraid." Rei finished quietly.

"Do you think he's just afraid because it's all so new to him?" Serena asked after

a long silence. She had already made her decision. In fact, she realized she'd

made the decision some time ago.

Andrew sighed, "No, I think when you've spent so long being a little unhappy you

get used to it. And then it's scary to let it go because if you lose your happiness

again you'll feel that unhappiness keenly and have to learn to live with it all over."

Serena jumped up, "But you should never have to get used to unhappiness in the

first place!" she said righteously, arms and pigtails flying.

Rei privately thought Darien had finally met his match. There wasn't a wall in the

world that would keep Serena out.

"I'M going to talk to him!" Serena proclaimed.

She rounded on Andrew, "He's at home isn't he?" she accused.

"M-maybe…" Andrew said, holding up a tray to protect himself.

"Tell me where he lives Andrew!"

"I don't think that's what he wants Serena. You have to tread carefully here."

But now Mina and the rest of the girls were all staring him down.

"Give us that address Andrew!"

And so it came to pass that Serena stormed over to Darien's apartment,

managed to slip in when someone else opened the door and found her way to his

front door.

Here she rapped soundly and when she heard Darien scuffle over and check his

peep hole she waved, "Let me in Darien! We need to talk!"

"No way!" came his frightened reply.

"Let me in!" She cried angrily, pounding on the door.

"Go away!" he responded, and it finally came home to her just how young he

really was, and not in a good way.

The pounding and yelling went on for a bit before Serena stormed off to regroup

and plan.

To her credit she returned with an excellent plan an hour later. Her hair was

folded up behind her baseball cap which she pulled down over her eyes and she

carried a pizza.

So when she knocked and Darien called out she didn't answer but let him look

through the peephole and see the pizza. She heard the door unlock with

satisfaction.

"I think you have the wrong apartment," Darien was saying kindly, "I didn't order

any—"

Serena shoved past him and into the apartment.

"No!" he said aghast, pointing at her as she squared herself behind his coffee

table, ready to make chase.

"We NEED to talk buster!" She said determinedly.

/br br


	5. Chapter 4

The Kiss of Enemies

Chapter 4: The Truth Comes Out

Rated: R

Disclaimer: standard

Author: rain of silver stars

e-mail: notes: this old fic has just taken off in a completely different direction

than I originally planned...I really expected this stand-off to be an angsty one

but I can't bring myself to write Serena pining after Darien anymore. I so

much prefer those moments in the movies and even the show where her

compassion lends her the exact tools necessary to accomplish something great.

And I've always loved the storyline of Darien being this loner with a tragic past

and Serena being the counterpoint to that. So in lieu of that, happiness (and

hopefully humour) abound...read on!

* * *

_Take me inside your body_

_Cover me with your soul_

_To the darkest recess_

_Is where I wish to go_

smashing pumpkins

* * *

Serena took in the wary, nearly frightened expression on Darien's face with a

feeling of real confusion. What on earth was he so afraid of?

She thought of the things in her life that filled her with happiness. Her family's

love. Chocolate. Comic Books. Video Games. She couldn't imagine running from

any of them with the terror she could read in Darien's eyes at that moment.

He was tensed, ready to run it seemed. She put the pizza on the coffee table and

straightened, looking around for the first time. She wasn't sure if it possible for him

to have more gray in his apartment. It was the most colourless box she had ever

seen.

She took in the stereo, TV, orderly CD tower, metal magazine rack sorted meticulously.

It took a moment to realize what was missing besides colour, it was photos, mementos,

tacky gifts, memories...She took a deep breath over her sudden heartache. She had

to tread carefully.

"Alright Darien, here's the thing," she started, taking a step around the table and watching

him take a step back, "I think we like each other. I think we have some kind of wierd

connection. I can't explain it," she looked around the bland, gray apartment again and

shook her head, "I really can't explain it, but it feels really good. And I think it can only

feel better the closer we get."

He was listening intently, she could tell, but he still looked fearful, "Look, I know it feels

good," he said, "But that doesn't make it right. And it doesn't mean I have to choose to

go along with it. I don't want to."

She frowned, "But you DO want to--I think that's the problem."

She stepped towards him again and he backed away, heading for his kitchen.

"Darien! What are you so afraid of?"

He met her eyes, "I'm not afraid...I just..." he looked away, ran a nervous hand

through his hair, "I don't like what this--whatever it is--turns me into."

She frowned in confusion. There was something. Something she wasn't remembering.

But what?

She stepped towards him again, "I don't understand. What it turns you into?" she smiled wryly,

"You mean, a good kisser?"

He had put the kitchen table between them now, "Har har. No. Look, Serena, I was never

looking for a relationship in the first place."

Serena raised her eyebrows, "Neither was I."

"Well good, then we can just agree to part ways and avoid any more...incidents." He said hopefully,

though as she crept around the table he realized it was futile. He thought feebly of running out

his own door and leaving her there.

"Why should we?" she asked honestly, "If it feels so great to kiss and..." her voice trailed off

and she blushed, "...other stuff, why shouldn't we?"

That blush had him remembering all the moments they had shared where her skin had been

flushed. It was insane. Ever since that first kiss he couldn't control his reaction. Seeing her

blush, or smile a certain way, or walk in her tiny skirts when she thought no one was watching,

it all made him lose his mind for her. And the coming together was absolutely fantastic--but the

aftermath was devastating. He couldn't handle it. It made him weak, needy. Fortunately

she didn't seem to remember--thank god. But he certainly wasn't going to get himself tangled up

again in anything that might remind her.

She had that feral look in her eyes though. How was he supposed to get rid of her? All he

could think of was employing what used to work before.

"Look, I don't want to be with you Serena. You're not my type at all! You're way too

young and immature! I barely even like you."

He met her eyes as he finished and his voice betrayed him.

Her eyes widened, "You don't mean that," she breathed and then paled, "You never

meant any of it did you? All the mean things you said? You just said them to keep

me away!"

Darien winced. Well, that backfired in the worst possible way.

"I don't believe it!" she said, walking towards him as he backed away, feeling along the wall for a door,

"Allllll this time you've had a thing for me? All this time you've been afraid?"

"Th-that's not true!" he said valiantly, "I just thought you looked cute when you were mad!"

He froze after saying that and wished instead to find a window. This was all Andrew's fault, he

concluded. His life was officially over. Could this get any worse?

Serena's face lit up like a star with sudden happiness, "You thought I was cute?"

She remembered how he had told her she was pretty that first night and her heart began

to beat wildly in her chest. This was the real thing!

"Oh Darien...why didn't you just tell me you liked me in the first place?"

He was still backing up and visibly sweating now, "No, you've got it all wrong!"

But she was on to him now, "Oh no I don't! You like me! Why are you so freaked out?"

"Me?" he squeaked in a voice she had never heard before, "What about you? You aren't freaking

out enough!"

She was taking longer strides towards him now, "Darien, seriously, c'mere..."

"N-no..." his breath was coming in gasps now. The universe had definitely gone mad. Here he was,

backing away from her in terror. And all the while he couldn't deny the feelings she was talking about.

She had just been looking better and better this past week as realization washed over him. All the things

he used to pretend annoyed him about her were actually endearing...it was awful! And the closer she

got, the more chance there was that she would remember what really happened at the end of that first

night. He couldn't bear the shame of that. Couldn't bear to feel that way again.

But she kept on, walking towards him, "Are you really afraid of your own happiness?" she asked softly,

"I just can't believe that..."

He knocked over a small table as he backed up and a lamp landed on the floor with a thud.

"Darien!" she said, half-laughing, half-wondering, "Seriously, stop! Wait!"

But he was still backing up and when she finally sped up he actually turned tail and ran for his bedroom.

"Darien!" she cried out in surprise and scolding, "Good grief!"

She ran after him and had him in two quick strides, jumping on his back and offbalancing him so that

he toppled over, landing on his bedroom floor. He tried to turn over but Serena kept him pinned so that

she was straddling him when he succeeded, his hands on her hips and her eyes wide as they met his.

The baseball cap had flown off in the struggle and now Serena's hair tumbled around her shoulders and

face in a halo of blonde.

Why do you hate me? Darien questioned the almighty with an abundance of sincerity.

The moment stood frozen until Darien slowly righted them, sitting up so that Serena ended up in his lap

and finding himself unable to push her away completely. He looked into her eyes, beseeching, "I can't do

this with you Serena. There are somethings more important than feeling good."

"Like what?" she asked, searching her brain for some greater good that was suffering by their get-together.

"Like dignity. Like keeping my self respect."

His face was pinched with emotion and she felt it again, that sense of missing something. She just couldn't understand

it. There was something very real pushing him away and making him afraid. What was it?

She watched him and waited but he didn't make a move either way. And she finally realized that the decision rested

more on her. That the power had somehow shifted between them and she was at the helm. It was a strange and

frightening power.

She reached a shaky hand to touch his face.

"Please don't..." he said quietly.

But he did not stop her. She quaked a little inside as her mind stumbled over the words, _he can't resist me_.

He could not resist her touch. She stroked his face and ran her fingers into his dark hair and a strange sadness

came into his face. She leaned up and kissed him gently, fighting down the overwhelming wave of feelings and

focusing instead on him. His eyes were closed and his mouth clung to hers, his hands and arms stiff where they

crushed the sides of her shirt as they held. He was not giving in, but he was not pulling away either. There was

a tension in his bearing that had her remembering their first night together. An overwhelming sense of deja-vu

over came her and at last she began to remember.

Because it was a feeling they had shared, with their strange connection. Even tense, and confused, the feeling

surfaced again. That feeling of 'at last...at last...'. That feeling of coming home. And she realized he had never

known a home. Realized the feeling was new and confusing for him when it had struck first. That it had quailed

him and filled him and broken him even as it repaired. Even now it was release and destruction together.

And in her mind she could hear his voice again, begging her not to go. It was not the voice of any of the Darien's

she had seen this past week. It was not the boy at the arcade, nor the lover she had unexpectedly found in the

night after a few drinks had let them feel instead of see...this was the voice of a child. This was the last part of

him, the most lonely, the most vulnerable. And she suddenly realized how ashamed he was of needing anything.

Of wanting that loneliness to end.

She pulled back and his face was drawn and pale. Her eyes were pools of sympathy and he looked defeated

and resentful all at once.

"You remember..." he said dully.

She nodded and waited for him to speak. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her body still curved around his

on the bedroom floor. He seemed to have physically relaxed...resigned to the inevitable.

"No one's seen me like that since I was six years old," he admitted, then his eyes met hers, "And I never want

to feel that way again. I can't...I can't go back to that place. It's too hard. So no matter how good this feels,

I can't go through with it. I need to leave that place behind."

"But you're not happy." she said sadly.

He smiled at her, "You don't understand Serena. You've never been unhappy. You're as used to being

surrounded by people as I am of being on my own. You get used to it."

She shook her head fiercely, "No one should get used to being unhappy!"

When he shook his head she took it between her hands, "Don't you see? You don't have to be

unhappy anymore!"

He paled then, real fear showing across his face and she felt an overwhelming burst of

feeling rush over her. He was hers, she could feel it to her bones, hers to collect and

take care of and protect in a way only she could.

She leaned close to his mouth, her eyes locked onto his and said gently, "You won't ever

be alone again. I'll be with you, and I'll never leave."

He stared at her for a long moment, an unreadable expression on his face. She held his eyes

until he finally breathed, "I'm not sure how to take that..."

She smiled, "You already have...taken it, I mean."

His hands were shaky as they caught hers, then slid to her face. She watched the shift of

emotions on his face.

"Say it again." he said in a low voice.

She leaned in and he shut his eyes as her voice rolled over him, "I'll be with you, and I'll

never leave. You won't ever be alone again."

"Promise?" his voice asked quietly.

He felt her smile against his mouth, "Promise."

Then she kissed him and they tangled up together in a very nice moment. This time was

different. This time they knew exactly what they were doing and everything had been said.

This time Serena memorized every detail as Darien's mouth gently explored hers with a

tender appreciation that made her ache, even as her nerves sang with pleasure.

His hands wandered into her hair, framing her face and then sliding down her shoulders

to wrap around her and pull her in tight as the kiss turned over. She could feel that

incredible awareness taking over and instinctively moved closer, her hands finding their

way under his shirt and pulling.

"We should take it slow..." his voice murmured reluctantly, "Serena, we should stop..."

But Serena was hearing none of that. She pressed her hips into his very effectively and

pulled his shirt off to kiss his throat and the hollow behind his ear as her hands slid up

the hot skin of his back. He groaned in defeat and buried his face in her shoulder.

He pulled back one last time though, catching her hands and asking carefully, "Are you

sure? Cause we're right beside my bed." he laughed as he said it, but she knew he

was serious too, "And I don't know if I can hold back once we get going..."

But she met his eyes with confidence and surprised the hell out of him by saying,

"I don't want you to hold back."

She smiled brightly and he knew, deep down, he'd had it at that moment. He really

was hers forever. There could be no going back. He stopped ignoring his body

and didn't ask any other clearly voiceable questions after that.

Instead his hands wandered and unbuttoned and quickly helped her out of her

shirt and bra so they could properly tangle up sitting on the floor. It was heady to press

together at the hips, legs wrapped around each other. Serena's fingers dug into

his shoulders with urgency. She was sure she knew how it would feel and sure

it was what she wanted.

That familiar taste of him, the musky scent of his skin, the warm feel of him that told her

he was hers, her equal and match, her lover and mate. She savoured them this time

and she could tell he was doing the same. It sent thrills through her feeling him pause

at certain places, soaking in the feeling and memorizing her details.

There was that sensation again, feeling what he felt. She wondered if he felt it too and

suddenly heard his voice in her ear, "Serena, I'd swear I could..."

"I know." She cut him off in a breathy voice.

He lifted her up then, and carried her to the bed. She slid down to stand and the heat

became almost unbearable. She lost control of her hands and found herself

reacting, reaching, touching as though her body were not her own. And Darien realized

the girl in his arms was another version, another boundary shed. Not the Serena from the

arcade, or even the heady lover from the drunken party. This Serena was awake, aware

and alive to the sensations between them, and her savouring made her infinitely precious.

He knew he could never really know.

The rest of their clothes came off in a heated torrent and Serena pulled him down over her

for a long kiss, bodies pressed uncomfortably but with excitement and desire making it

ecstasy.

Then he took her by the sides with strong hands and pulled her up all the way, laying her

back and settling in beside her with wandering, eager hands. This time, the strange,

half-familiar knowledge of what pleased the other was a slow, vivid rush that heated

the blood and stole their breaths as they became fevered in their ministrations.

Serena's leg curved over his hip to press against him as he buried his face in her throat

and then her breasts and he felt a part of himself flare to life that he had not known existed

until that moment. And best of all he could feel it in her too. They were matched equally.

Their hands wandered down and stroked, pleasuring and drawing the other closer to

the edge. Serena's hand wrapped around him, stroking and pressing and he felt his

control slipping away. He rolled her over and she wrapped her legs about his hips so

quickly that he was pressed against the sweet, wet brink of her before he could catch

himself. His vision began to swim dangerously. He untangled himself and kissed his

way down over her breasts, over her stomach as she arched up against him and between

her legs until she was gasping and distracted. He kept on, feeling the tension in her

body pull tighter and tighter but she pushed him away, climbing onto her knees and

kissing him with sudden fierceness before running hands and lips down to take him in

her mouth so that he groaned and felt that hot swimming in his blood and his vision

take over again.

She wanted more. So did he. She pulled away, her eyes meeting his with obvious

intent. Her hands framed his face, disappeared into his hair and pulled him down

over her. He followed, their eyes locked, and he knew the decision was made. He fumbled

in his bedside drawer for his protection, hurrying it out and on before leaning over and

losing himself in the kissing and the tangling of arms and legs. He could hear her moaning

softly, feel her rising excitement with his own. And then the moment came again. He settled

between her legs and she wrapped herself around him and he felt himself easing in. And

oh God she was tight and warm and ecstasy. He had to force his eyes open against the

exquisite agony of it, to watch her face and make sure she wasn't in pain.

But with a few quick strokes he felt her open like a flower and he slid all the way in, hearing

his voice moan as he buried it in her shoulder to absorb the shock of sensation. She

wrapped arms and legs tightly around him, her mouth working at his throat and earlobe

as she gently pressed against him, urging him on.

He had lost it and only slowly pulled himself together, straightened above her and started

with long, slow strokes, feeling the sharp pleasure pass between them. Watched her face

pinch with that pleasure making him gain confidence and gradually picked up speed so

that she grabbed onto his hips and hurried him on and he thought he would die. She was

everything. Nothing could ever feel more than this. She was moaning and breathing beneath

him, her heart racing with his and the tension building to fever pitch. He pulled her up to a sit

with him and they readjusted, both clinging to the other in such a way that they could stroke

together. Darien heard his name stumble out near his ear as her fingers dug into his lower back.

It was the most incredible pleasure he had ever felt. Serena was more than just a great kisser,

a great lover, a great sparring partner. More than even a woman with whom he felt he came

home. She was the one. He could feel it in his bones at that moment and clung to her, wanting

to tell her but finding he had no voice. Instead he fell over the edge and surrendered. And he

knew she knew. She caught him even as she lost herself too. They hung on to each other until

their breathing slowed, gasping and catching up with their bodies.

Then their eyes met and they broke into giddy smiles, their hands tender as they kissed

and shyly touched and then tumbled back into the bed to clean up and cuddle. And as the

aftershocks faded and the aftermath turned over into a comfortable silence, Serena turned

back into his favorite girl from the arcade and looked around with twinkling eyes to observe,

"Could your apartment BE more gray?"

He mocked offense and said, "My sheets are really more silver than gray."

She laughed and he smiled indulgently, drawing her in for a long, sweet kiss. She

leaned back against him after, head under his chin with that feeling of belonging.

He could see her eyes traveling around after that, re-arranging and redecorating.

'Let her' he thought lazily. Let her change everything. Let her take-over. He welcomed

it now.

Then she turned in his arms, hands gently searching and clinging. Their was a gentle,

possessive rapture in her face that he tucked away to remember later. It was merely

the edge of the devotion Serena would come to be capable of, he would realize

later. But for now, it was something sweet, that stood alone from the future.

"It was different this time." she observed quietly.

He nodded and sighed, "It's different every time."

But he knew what she meant. And she knew he knew.

His long arms folded around her then, and he laid a vulnerable head in her

shoulder. Letting that feeling wash over him again. But for the first time

it turned over, and changed, and opened up into happiness. Here was home,

a new point of contact, a new destination for that searching to land upon.

And that was it, the purpose of everything, of all the searching and waiting

and wishing in life. Great deeds could be only photographs to this kind

of discovering.

Serena felt him settle in and took hold, eager to let him be hers. This

shared feeling made him uniquely hers. And it can be said that this

feeling was what she cherished the most. That he was hers, in some

indelible, ineffable way. That feeling would carry her through whatever

they faced together. She knew then, without needing maturity or

experience to recognize it, that their separation was impossible. What

was there had always been there, waiting to be found. And it could

never be thrown asunder.

His hand was slowly tracing patterns across her back, his breathing

slow and relaxed as she came back to herself. She settled in

tighter with a contented sound and heard his stomach give an

impressive growl. She giggled as he gave an embarrassed huff.

"I'm starved!"

Then she jumped up delightedly, "I brought pizza!"

She streaked around the room, still starkers and giddily picking

up their clothes so they could go eat. His eyes followed her

indulgently. There was something akin to a pixie-ness about

Serena. She could flutter between innocence and understanding

with startling ease. Had he known it in his gut all along? Had he

teased her with a mixture of desire and fear to know the rest?

She pulled his shirt over his head, tossed him the rest and left

the room in break-neck speed for the pizza. He dressed lazily

and followed, getting some drinks out of the fridge and joining

her.

It wasn't until after they'd cleaned off the pizza and settled back

into the couch that the looming "what next?" question crowded in.

"They're all waiting at the arcade!" Serena moaned.

Darien thought of Andrew's self-satisfied face and shut his

eyes for a moment.

"Best to ease them into it I think," he observed, his arm around

her already feeling so natural it frightened him.

"Yeah..." she agreed, "We can keep up the fights for fun and then

slowly agree more."

Darien smiled, "I like our fights."

"We won't ever give them up completely."

"I hope not."

There were much larger things to be said. They both knew it.

But happily, they realized the time for them would come later.

It would arrive naturally.

Meanwhile, the wholly unnatural task of facing their horrendously

nosy friends waited to be tackled.

"Let's go separately," Serena suggested, "I'll go first, then you."

This seemed like a great idea at the time.

But when Serena came through the arcade doors the girls honed

in immediately.

"Sooooooo! What happened?"

Serena smiled carefully, "We talked things out and I think it's ok

now."

Mina was watching her face intently and her eyes suddenly

widened in shock, "You DID IT!"

Serena blanched, "I did not! What do you think I am? Some

kind of hentai?"

But Mina was already waving her arms in delight, "You're

a HUGE hentai who's going to tell us EVERYTHING!"

Rei and Lita were nodding emphatically and grabbed a

now purple Ami to drag her over to a booth with them.

"I can't BELIEVE you did it before ME!" Mina exclaimed as

Andrew came over with their shakes. He nearly dropped them

all on the floor and Serena hung her head in defeat.

Darien walked in at this inopportune moment and Andrew's

eyes met his with a look of fury that made him hesitate at the

threshold.

But then Mina had Andrew by the apron strings, shaking

him and saying, "Andrew, are you busy tonight?"

There was blatant determination on her face and as his

eyes dawned with understanding a broad grin spread

across his handsome face.

"Whatever I was doing, I'll cancel it." he said and she smiled

that same smile back at him.

Rei and Lita rolled their eyes.

And when Andrew turned back to Darien his face was

entirely different, an almost grateful gleam in his eyes.

He walked over, poured Darien a fresh, hot coffee and

smiled knowingly.

"Hey there Dare old buddy, how's it going?"

Darien looked between the chattering girls, a despairing

Serena and smug Andrew and sighed heavily.

"Don't smile at me like that!" he accused, "This is all YOUR fault!"

Andrew chuckled good-naturedly, "You, are welcome."

Darien's eyes narrowed, "Welcome for what? Do you realize

what you've done? Do you realize what I'm going to go through

now? All the things that used to annoy me about her? Now I find

them adorable! What does that even MEAN! "

Andrew looked a little disconcerted as Darien grew red in the face

and waved his arms about, "Uhhh, I think it means you liked her all

along dude." he replied.

"Are you insane? That can't be right! And I don't WANT to find her

adorable!"

A glance over showed Serena relaxed and finally chatting avidly

with her friends as they all leaned in for details. Her eyes met

Darien's and she smiled. Andrew had never seen that particular

smile and watched with real amusement as Darien's expression

melted into a glazed smile in return. Then he turned back to

Andrew and the smile vanished instantly, replaced by a glare.

But Andrew, who had barely been fooled to begin with, was

definitely not fooled anymore.

He waited until Darien took a good, deep mouthful of coffee

and said dryly, "Went all the way didn't you?"

He was rewarded with Darien's immediate choking fit and

laughed before searching out Mina's eyes and winking at her.

Today, was a very good day.

* * *

I'm cutting if off here since I've been staring at this same line

for weeks. I have some ideas for the next bit, but feedback is most

welcome as I need more conflict schemes otherwise this is just

going to get an epilogue ;)

toodles!


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